Zootopia: Far Beyond These Castle Walls
by Leenden
Summary: A game of Dungeons and Dragons can be a frustrating thing when Finnick is an overly cruel Dungeon Master. Gideon gets upset about the whole mess and storms off to go to bed. Unfortunately, when he wakes up in the morning, he's far away from his cozy home in the burrows. What he thinks is a cruel prank orchestrated by Finnick, turns out to be something otherworldly.
1. Chapter 1

Zootopia:

Far Beyond These Castle Walls

Chapter One:

Not Just Another Game.

Gideon awoke in a forest. The early morning sun pierced through the foliage above. It cast flecks of light upon the ground around him. The back of his shirt was cold and damp from the morning dew. How long had he been out here? He thought as he tried to sit up. Judging by how bad his back creaked when he sat up, he could only guess it must have been all night. The woods didn't look familiar, not in the slightest. The air was fresh and clean welcoming to his nose. The only thing he could deduce was he must have been somewhere outside of Zootopia, near one of the surrounding burrows, which lead to the biggest question of all. How had he gotten here?

Gideon struggled to get on his knees before coming to his feet. Blood rushed to his head causing him to swoon. It passed almost as quickly as it came on. He gave his chubby body a once over. Still wearing his blue flannel shirt and tattered jeans that he'd been wearing the day before but that wasn't the last thing he'd worn, no. Gideon mentally retraced his steps. He'd gotten tired of playing dungeons and dragons with his friends and decided to go to bed. Changed into his pj's and brushed his teeth, then lay down to sleep.

Maybe this was all part of a prank. There had been a small argument with Finnick about how brutal his dungeon master skills were. If this was a prank, the little fox has gone to a lot of trouble to put it all together. Nothing about his surrounding looked familiar. The trees looked young and thin. Beyond the closest trees was a path barely worn through the underbrush. To top it off there was no sign of any other mammals. Surely, the birds were singing in the sky above, there were sounds of bugs and even stuff that moved through the brush but other than that, there was nothing.

"Alright, ya dick. You succeeded, I'm plenty scared."

Gideon's voice sounded hollow in this large expanse. The fear really didn't set in until there was no response. There was no sign of Finnick, no sign of Judy, or Nick. Where the hell was everyone? He could try to walk back to the city, or at least some place close by so he could call for help...call for help! Gideon reached into his pocket but his phone was missing along with his wallet and keys. Finnick was as brutal at pranks as he was at Dungeon Master.

"Well, if anything, I should get a pretty good workout this morning." The fox conceded to his inevitability.

Gideon walked to the path and looked from left to right, again faced with another burning question. Which way was he going to go? Zootopia could be anywhere for all he knew. With the heavy foliage overhead, he couldn't even see the tops of the buildings. No sign of which direction the city could be in. The chubby fox knew he was going to have to reach deep down inside of him for good 'ol fashion deductive reasoning.

"Eenie, meanie, minie-" He swayed his fingers back and forth between the two directions.

A white-hot light flashed behind his eyes sending him reeling. Soon after that came the pain. A hard throbbing in the back of his head. Someone had struck him from behind, but how? They must have seen him from the trees, stalking him. It wasn't Finnick, was the last thought the pudgy fox had before he fell with his face in the dirt. His vision swam for a second longer, long enough to see a pair of feet come into view before blacking out.

"Roll the dice, I wanna see if your fortitude saves your ass." The small fox chided.

"What's the use, even if you miss me, you're probably gonna summon some skeletons to finish me off." Gideon picked up his teal die starting to shake it.

"Aw, come on. Don't be a whiner like the rest of these guys." Finnick smirked around his electronic cigar, the glowing blue light taunted.

"Curb that crap, tiny or I'll crush your head." Bogo, the cape buffalo nonchalantly flexed his massive arms as if to prove his point.

Gideon opened his mouth to say something but the other fox, Nick was already saying what the baker-fox was primed to mention. "Finnick, you always make this game too hard to play. Putting level two and three goblins in the starter dungeon is crap and you know it."

"You all have a party of..." Finnick pointed around the room counting the number of people. "Six, you should have no problem taking out some goblins."

Judy sat next to Nick looking at her downed fighter. Aza, the hyena, leaned against the chubby baker-fox, lost in thought about what exactly she was going to do with her Berserker and her one hit point. Benny chewed his bottom lip as he perused the D&D rules on his phone. A cleric with six hit points was no match for the goblins moving in for the kill and now he only had one healing spell left. Bogo's female mage had been the first one taken out. A fire arrow had brought about the poor mage's demise. The only other character on the battlefield with any hit points left was Nick's Bard but only because he knew what to expect from the evil Fennec fox.

"There's like twelve goblins and a mage on the battlefield and none of them are dead," Nick went on.

"Seriously, Gid, roll. The worse that can happen is you die, at least you'll be in good company." Aza added, pushing her perfectly painting figure around the play mat.

"No! I ain't gonna give him the satisfaction of watching me die. If he wants to cheat, that's his business, I won't play any part in it." Gideon got up from the table, all eyes were on him. "I don't even like playin' this stupid game. I only do it because I wanna be a good boyfriend."

With that, he stormed out of the room, all eyes followed him as he went but he didn't care. He could hear Finnick's angry voice calling down the hall after him.

"Just because you're a noob and can't play the game, doesn't mean I'm cheatin!"

If he said anything else, Gideon didn't hear him. Instead, he closed the bedroom door behind him and went on to do his nightly ritual of getting ready for bed. Brushing his teeth and changing into his pajamas before settling into his bed, still in quite a huff. The pudgy fox buried his face in his pillow and screamed. It was something he'd not done in a long time but something about the tiny fox pissed him off to no end sometimes. His face red with rage, his heart pounding in his chest so hard that his fingers hurt.

Now that Gideon had a moment to think about his actions, he started to feel a bit self-conscious about the way he acted. There was a nagging voice in the back of his head telling him that his grandma would've been ashamed of him acting so childish. How silly of him to let his temper get the better of him over a board game. The pudgy fox was tempted to go back into the living room and apologize for how he reacted.

Gideon threw the covers back but stopped when he heard voices from the living room. Nick was offering the clean up the mess, while Finnick defended his playing style. Aza, on the other hand, offered to be DM next week, so they could focus on the more fun aspect of the adventure. Bogo rumbled something about paperwork piling up and not being able to attend the following week but Benny would be there to fill the void. The pudgy cheetah whimpered and begged the larger mammal until he agreed to put off his paperwork for one more week. It all depends on whether is ex-wife could get the time off from work. Judy only agreed to return if Aza was the DM, which finally made Finnick agree that he would bow out of the position for the next get together.

Gideon lay in the bed listening to them talk. There was something mellowing about the muted voice through the walls. It almost reminded him of the days when his step dad would pass out drunk in front of the television. The pudgy fox was usually lulled to sleep by the laugh track on 'All in the Pack' or 'The Laverne and Squirrelly Show' reruns. He was starting to get tired, which he didn't want to fall asleep yet. Secretly, he wanted the little fox to come in and apologize, or maybe ask if he was alright. He'd even accept a late night roll between the sheets. Anything that would let Gideon know that Finnick didn't hate him for how he acted. The little fox didn't come and in no time, the baker-fox found himself battling with his consciousness slipping further and further into dreamland.

A cold rush of water washed over the pudgy fox causing him to sit up gasping. He didn't get far before something tugged hard at his neck bringing him down on the twisted roots of a very old tree. There was a rope tied around his neck, not tight enough to choke but just enough to keep him from sitting all the way up. His hands were bound behind his back so he couldn't free himself. Panic started to surge through him. Flashbacks of the terrible things his stepfather used to do to him. Even the alluring glow of the late morning sun did little to calm the torrent of emotions in his stomach. Before he could calm himself, he vomited onto his shoulder. He flailed to escape his own bile, but with his hands tied he couldn't get away.

"Halt!" A voice called.

The power behind the voice was enough to cut through the panic just long enough for him to glance a tall figure knelt down over him. It was hard to make out any specific details through his tear filled eyes but he was able to see a large double-sided axe digging into the ground only a foot away from his head. There was another figure standing behind the first. This one was a bit shorter and rounder in the tummy, this one held an empty bucket. Gideon tried to speak but was greeted with another heavy splash of cold water. The newly made mud under him started clinging to his fur and his clothes.

"Goddess, he's thrown up all over himself. A demon to be sure."

"Easy, Sister Aza. This stranger may not be well." The tubby one mused scooping down to grip the rope around the fox's neck.

"Addled in the head if you ask me." The gruff voice stated.

"Aza?" Gideon coughed as he tried to spit the flecks of his bile from his lips.

Gideon blinked the tears out of his eyes and looked up at the tall figure. It was the large female hyena he expected to see but there was something different about her. Instead of her manicured Mohawk, it was nothing more than a sloppy orange mess atop her head. It continued down her back in a long, rugged braid. She wore a flap of brown leather across her chest and around her waist. Gideon could see a road map of scars all over her body. She clutched a huge battleaxe that she was now using to support her weight. Her golden gaze locked with his, he could make out the many piercings in her face. A ring through one of her nostrils, one in her eyebrow. Several rings in her rounded ears, the weight of the metal caused them to droop slightly.

"Do not speak to me, demon."

"Aza!" The other said, his voice brought the fox's blue gaze to meet his.

"Benny?"

"I am Brother Benjamin, I serve my cloister, in the name of our most holy mother, Galestar."

With the exception of the ornamental leather armor, a cross burned into the front of it, the figure was Benny through and through. The same adorable smile on his rounded face. Fond yellow eyes studied the pudgy fox. On his back, he wore a large round shield that could barely be seen over his round shoulders. At his belt hung a wooden ankh and a heavy-looking metal ball on a stick, a mace, Gideon reminded himself. This had to be the most elaborate prank he'd ever seen in his life.

Gideon spat and looked back and forth between the two. "This is real funny, y'all. Where the hell is Finnick?"

"Who do you speak of?" The large hyena leaned close looking into the fox's eyes.

There was something wild in her eyes, something that he'd never seen before. The Aza he knew didn't exist her eyes. This was either a different person altogether, or she was definitely dedicated to the prank.

"Don't play dumb, you know who I'm talking about."

"Listen, strange one. We don't know this, Finnick and the only jesting going on, is yours. I must know, are you possessed? Are you addled in the brain?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Gideon grunted pulling against the rope again.

"Demon-spawn, we saw you on the road preparing to cast your spell. I know not what a Eenie, a meanie, or a minie is, but I don't like them." The look on Aza's face was stone cold.

"What?" Gideon chuckled at the joke that wasn't particularly funny. "Let's forget for a second that this is a prank. You thought I was casting a spell? I was trying to pick which way down the path I wanted to take."

"Oh, OH!" Benjamin smirked. "Like the old Mother Maggie rhythm. You know the one, sister."

Unenthusiastic, the hyena started to sing in a broken voice. "Mother Maggie, brought her baggy, from the merchant's stall, she brought it home, to be alone, to find that she'd been robbed."

"And while you do the rhyme, you point to the different things you want to remove from the choices." Benjamin reached into his boot to pull out a knife.

Gideon started laughing. "Yeah, something like that. That was pretty good, Aza. Did you make that up on the spot?"

"Do not evoke my name, worm."

"Sister!" Benjamin gasped again, clearly struggling to keep her civil. "You will have to excuse her. She was left on the steps of our abbey when she was but a babe. I grew up with her and she can be very hard to get close to but once you do, she will be closer to you than your own shadow."

"You trust too easily, brother."

"Sometimes, Aza, you need to have some faith in your fellow mammal."

"I have faith enough for all, brother, but I know what I-"

The hyena was interrupted by the trumpeting of a horn coming in their direction. Aza snatched around hefting the heavy battleaxe to the ready. She glared out through the foliage. Gideon felt the rope fall away from his neck as he sat. Benjamin moved to free his hand in the same quick motion. The cheetah's eyes darted from what he was working on to the hyena, who was standing guard.

"What do you hear?"

"Small humanoids, three feet at the highest. Eight of them."

Gideon saw her ears working the air, despite the weight of the earrings. Once the ropes at his hands fell away, Gideon to his feet ripping his flannel shirt free throwing it to the ground. It was too late, the white t-shirt underneath was soaked through with his own sick. The fox sneered in disgust as he pulled the shirt over his head leaving him half-naked, fortunately, the two shirts had been enough to keep the vomit from soaking into his fur.

"What is she talking about?" Gideon grunted glancing at Benjamin, who freed his shield from his back and had it armed.

"Sounds like we've been set upon by goblins, stranger." Benjamin held his dagger out to him.

"Don't you dare!" Aza hissed.

It was too late, Gideon took the dagger and nodded his appreciation. "Goblins? This'll be a hoot."

"Let Aza be the first to strike, then follow me in. Keep your back to ours and we may just survive to see supper."

Benjamin banged on his shield before he started whispering. Gideon wasn't sure what words he was saying but one thing he was certain of was that the cleric was praying, just like Benny had done in the game. The baker-fox wondered, had they stayed up all night to put together this ruse? If so, then Gideon would have to feel honored that they were this dedicated just into fooling him.

"Here they come," Aza warned.

Gideon expected to see some small mammals in terrible cosplay stepping out of the trees. Instead, he saw something that terrified him. They were, in all essence, Goblins. Greenish skin, pointed ears. Fangs showed in their gaping mouths. Red eyes poked out from under their helmets and hoods. They were all wearing gnarled armor and wielding crude looking weapons. For a brief moment, the fox tried to rationalize what he was seeing, all it left him with was a cold feeling. Desperately, he hoped that these goblins were level one.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

Unwelcome Guests

Aza struck first. The downward slash took every ounce of strength she could muster. The battleaxe sang its praises to the not-so-holy Hyena goddess before it offered up its sacrifice. The receiver of the heavy weapon, a goblin with a peculiar red quill in his hat, had a good two seconds to think about his life before he was literately split in two like a log for the fire. And much like a log hit at maximum force the two halves flew. One side struck two or three of his other long-nosed companions and the other side made a sickly slap against the base of an oak tree coating it with violet blood.

Gideon covered his mouth and retched. Fortunately, there was nothing left in his stomach to purge but it didn't stop his body from trying. The small creatures were faster than he could have imagined and they were closing in. Brother Benjamin shield slammed one of the little buggers. It was hard enough to fracture its skull, at least that's what Gideon assumed because the thing fell to the ground convulsing and didn't get up again.

Two more of the goblins, one being particularly fat went to work trying to route Aza. They closed the gap preventing her from getting leverage with her battleaxe. They slashed at her with their crude weapons but she dodged away. There was something beautiful in the way she moved. Her combat dance was as much offense as defense. When one got too close, she would kick them and move a few steps back making sure to keep her stance wide.

"Fat Demonspawn, help us!" The hyena growled.

The haft of her axe hammered one of the goblin's helmets hard enough to knock it off revealing it's tall pointed ears crooked and bent. Gideon choked back another wave of sick and got to his feet. He wiped the drool from his muzzle with the back of his hand and held out the dagger. It wasn't until that moment he realized how stupid it was to even attempt to fight with the small blade. There was a better chance of him doing more harm to himself than the little green menaces.

"I've never fought anyone with a knife before," Gideon admitted.

"Never?" Benjamin stepped back under the weight of a goblin throwing himself against his shield.

"Have you ever fought before?!" Aza backed up, close enough for Gideon to smell her.

To smell the wild unkempt beast that she was, was strangely invigorating. It wasn't pleasant by any stretch of the imagination, but it wasn't unpleasant either. Sweat mixed with ferocity and just a hint of rage, it was familiar, but he couldn't place the smell at first. It was doing something to his head, it made him feel strong like when he was a younger.

"Well, yeah. But not with a weapon." Gideon was now moving with the group backing away from the remaining goblin moving in for the kill.

"Hand to hand?" Benjamin mused, spitting a bit of blood from the cut on his bottom lip. Gideon hadn't seen how he got hit but at least it didn't look bad.

"Something like that," Gideon said.

"A monk then, get in there and crack some skulls."

Aza deemed that the time to retreat was over. She swung her axe in a large crescent arc, letting the weight of the blade carry her all the way around. Two of the goblins, the first two, fell victim to the attack before the others wised up. The attack left Aza open and on the run once again. Three goblins picked her as the biggest threat and gave chase while the others focused on Benjamin. The world around the fox was a cacophony of clanks, clatters, and shouts. Whether it was a sword hammering a shield or Aza's axe haft hammering an incoming goblin it filled his head with unwavering confusion.

"Anytime, Monk." This time, it was Benjamin who was losing his temper at the fox's indecision.

Gideon punched a fist into his hand and started to rile himself up. A goblin ran passed him on its way to help bring down Aza, but Gideon caught him by the shoulder first spinning him in such a way to bring a hard cuff across the creatures face. The punch was solid enough to twist its long curved snout sideways sending out a shower of violet blood everywhere. A wave of satisfaction washed through the baker-fox at the fact he'd managed a good solid hit. The feeling didn't last long once the goblin turned to look at him. A cruel, blood-stained smile came to its pinched face. It was a moment of realization for the fox. These were not school-house bullies, these were not drunk patrons at a bar. These were real, honest-to-god, goblins, battle hardened and durable. They'd come looking for a fight, a single punch wasn't going to cut it.

There was a downside to this realization, as Gideon soon found out. The close quarters slash wasn't as deep as the goblin wanted it to be but it was enough to cause the baker-fox to bleed. Blood dripped free from the three-inch cut at his ribs. Not very deep, luckily, but it hurt. Through that pain, Gideon found a new sense of urgency and it came out in the form of rage. Gideon had lost track of how many times he punched the goblin, but he knew that the thing was never going to get up again. The mass that used to be its face was nothing more than a pile of ground, green meat now. Gideon staggered back gripping his side as blood seeped through his fingers.

"Good, now another!" Aza hollered, booting a goblin away only to see it replaced by another.

"We are overrun, we must flee!" Benjamin was backed against a tree struggling to keep a few goblins at bay with a few tired swings of his mace.

The look on Aza's face told Gideon that she was not privy to fleeing a battle, which Gideon had to agree with. With the fresh wound in his side, there was no telling how far he could run before he collapsed. It seemed like a doomed venture and by the lurching goblin coming towards him, it only seemed like it was about to get worse.

The little green menace licked his lips, no doubt able to smell the blood pouring from the fox's side. Much like a shark, it was closing in for the kill. There was no way Gideon could fight another, nor could he take another hit. His desperate blue gaze found Aza, who urged him to do something but for some reason, he couldn't hear what she was saying.

Then something happened, something miraculous, which was saying a lot considering all the other crazy things that had happened this day. The eye of the goblin erupted all over Gideon. Violet blood peppered him from head to toe. Something glinted from the empty socket but the pudgy fox couldn't quite make out what it was. The only thing he could make out was that the goblin slumped over dead and he was no longer in immediate danger.

"By the goddess!" Grunted Aza.

A small figure darted through the underbrush. It was nothing more than a black smear against the green foliage. It moved with such speed that Gideon thought he was imagining it.

"Mind if I cut in!"

A deep voice declared, the throat of a goblin clinging to Aza, split open all over her. A black figure gripped the goblin from behind holding out a blood smeared dagger. The slash had been so precise and quick that the creature had no time to act. It crumpled to the forest floor, soaking the ground with its blood. The small figure, which was an inch or two shorter than the goblins, glared at the Hyena for only a second. Gideon saw that the stranger wore black dyed leather armor. It was so skin-tight that he could see the figure was a male, but a male what. The hood and mask that covered his face completely making it impossible to tell. For a second, Gideon thought he could make out smile lines along the strangers muzzle but he couldn't tell for sure because the stranger was off again to do more goblin slaying.

"You have something on your face."

A chiding voice called from the tree. It was accompanied by the twang of a bow-string and the singing of an arrow. It's target, a goblin, didn't stand a chance since Aza was nice enough to remove its helmet earlier with the haft of her axe. Gideon snatched around to see another fox up in the trees. It puzzled him, how he hadn't seen the brightly dressed creature before. A bright green tunic stuck out amidst the leather chest armor and a brown cape. The ornamental archer's hat was made of the same green fabric as his shirt. Gideon recognized the voice and the smug smile instantly, Nick! Which meant the crazy black leather clad figure must have been...

"Good one!" Laughed the rogue, who eagerly twisted a goblin's head around fulfilled by the satisfying, sickly snap of its neck.

"Thank you, Finn!" The archer called, slipping down from the tree.

Before he touched the ground he knocked another arrow and sent it flying with another tasteful jab. "Got my eye on you."

Gideon followed the shot as best he could watching as it sunk deeply into the skull of a goblin right through the eye just as the Nick doppelganger had suggested with his one-liner. The baker-fox could hear Aza grunt in disgust at the bravado of the fox, while Benjamin worked hard to stifle a giggle.

The three remaining goblins turned their attention to the pudgy fox who was leaning against a tree to keep himself standing. There was blood lust in their eyes and he could tell what they were thinking. They might have lost the battle but they would at least take one of them down with them. The injured one was the perfect candidate. Quickly they converged on him pushing him to retreat further. One pounced on him, bringing him down into the dead leaves that littered the forest floor. It dug a dirty boot into the gash at his side causing another fresh wave of pain and blood. Gideon wrapped his hands around its tiny neck and started choking. The green thing wriggled and tried to get free but the baker fox's grip was stronger. The thing glared down at Gideon, its eyes popping out of its skull as it fought to breathe. The fevered kicks and punches were all solid enough to hurt him but he wasn't willing to let go just to block them. Sure he would be bruised but he knew all too well if he let go of the creature now it would mean certain death.

The hits were coming softer and softer and Gideon knew the goblin was blacking out, soon he could rest, all he needed to do was hold on for just a little bit longer. Finally, the goblin choked its last and fell limp in the fox's strong grip. Gideon could feel it's pulse thumping away slowly against his hand. Not dead, just out, he reasoned as he tossed it aside to gather his strength one again. It was hard since every breath he took caused a sharp pain to spike in his side. The edges of his vision were growing dark, he was dying. And if the wound didn't kill him, the cackling warning of the two remaining goblins surely would.

Gideon could see them closing in. Cruel dirty claws flicking on the ends of thin fingers. They'd dropped their weapons but they were still looking to take a pound of flesh from the helpless fox, in the name of their fallen comrades. Gideon tried to move but the throbbing in his side just made him nauseous, forcing him to lay back. A warm hand touched his leg, then he felt the claw tearing through his jeans into the flesh beneath. It hurt but the pain was dull compared to the spiking pain in his side.

"No!"

Gideon heard Aza approaching. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her snatch one of the goblins up by a scrap of its armor slamming it hard against a tree. Then she did it again and again. Over and over she slammed the poor thing into the tree until it was nothing more than a bloody leather sack. She tossed it aside like a piece of rotten meat and turned to face the other. It let out a scream and started running away.

That was when the other fox, the Nick doppelganger, showed up beside Aza. A teasing smile came to his lips as he knocked another arrow. Then he let out an ear-piercing whistle. Gideon saw the goblin turn around, its mouth gaping wide in a frustrated scream. It grabbed its ears against the power of the fox's whistle. Then all went silent for a moment, everything went into slow motion as if by magic. The archer fox's green eyes locked on the target it was going for. The cruel smile on the fox's lips rippled as he spoke in a lavishly sexy tone.

"I love it when a wench..." He loosed the arrow as it tore through the air leaving ripples in its wake. "...swallows," The arrow struck its mark. Plunging into the goblin's mouth and out of the back of its head. The force of the shot sent it sprawling, dead, into the bushes. Then everything returned to normal.

"Damn, boy. You win this time." The rogue appeared out of nowhere next to the taller fox.

"I told you, Finn, you cannot best me in a game of Puns."

There was a playful laughter in the archer's tone that was contagious to all, except for Aza who rolled her eyes and grunted. Even Gideon chuckled at the pun but it gave way to a sharp pain in his side. The blackness swallowed him up, taking him away from this strange world of swords and sorcery that he'd thought so stupid the night before. His final thought on it before he was gone was that it was still stupid, just a lot more painfully stupid than he realized.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

A Wretch Like You.

Something shifted close by, the noise was loud enough to rattle the sleeping fox from his dreamless slumber. There was chill in the air that assaulted his half-naked body. A stitch in his side sent a wave of pain through him when he tried to hug himself against the cold. Above him stretched a canopy of branches and leaves. Through them he could see the bright twinkling of stars. Such a majestic sight to remind him that he was still on Earth and not dead. Wait, he wondered, why would he need to be reminded that he wasn't dead?

It was that small notion that sent a flood of memories back to him. The insane situation where he was no longer in Zootopia. His once friends were replaced by these crazy doppelgangers, and how could anyone forget the small army of goblins that attacked for no reason. It was at that musing that Gideon moved his hand to touch his side, hesitating at what he'd find there. The pudgy fox took a deep breath and rested his hand against the spot where he'd been flayed not more than a few hours ago. Much to his surprise, there was nothing. Simply a naked line under his ribs where the fur was gone.

Gideon sat up and looked around, wincing at the stitch in his side. Everything was dark except for a low orange glow coming through the trees from a nearby fire. There was a faint ringing in his ears that went away once he sat up. There, piled around a small fire were the others. It wasn't until he saw them that he could hear the faint mumbling of their voices.

The baker-fox struggled to get to his feet, the wound in his side may have closed but the lingering ache of muscle damage was still very much there. It felt like he'd pulled a muscle and it was having a hard time working itself out. The voices stopped once he stepped out of the bushes. All eyes shifting to greet him.

Benjamin, whose smile was the largest in the group, sat stirring a pot with a wooden spoon as it rested on the open flame. How had Gideon missed the smell of vegetables cooking in a salted broth? The Nick doppelganger offered a smile and a relaxed nod as he continued to pluck away at a very small guitar, or a lute, at least that's what the stupid game called it. Next to the fox, sharpening his dagger, was Finnick, or not Finnick as the case seemed to be in this altered universe. The small fox tapped his blade against his eyebrow and flipped it outward in some form of salute. There was a smile on his tiny muzzle, so Gideon assumed it was meant to be taken as a friendly gesture. Aza, the one with the smallest smile, shifted closer to the Nick doppelganger and patted the ground next to her. There was no verbal invitation but Gideon wasn't about to wait until she asked again. When he sat down in the grass, a wave of warmth washed over him from the fire. It was a welcoming feeling. He didn't get cold often enough to know how to deal with it.

"I don't think we've all been properly introduced. You know me and Aza, but these two here are..." Benjamin pushed the introduction with a point of the spoon.

"I'm Nicholas, a bard and all around naughty fox and this is my companion, Finn," The small fox simply thrust his muzzle towards the pudgy fox in a silent greeting.

"Pleased to meet you, my name's Gideon Grey." It seemed weird to reintroduce himself to this group of strangers that reminded him so much of his friends.

There was a soft hush that fell over the group as they were all focused on their own individual thing. Upon closer inspection, Gideon could see flecks of meat floating in the brownish liquid. Chunks of carrots and potatoes too. The pudgy fox's stomach churned into a loud growl bringing everyone's gaze to him once again. He rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. Everyone went back to what they were doing, the air went still again save for the clanking of the wooden spoon on the walls of the pot.

Gideon turned to look at the large female warrior sitting next to him. He was surprised to see she was still looking at him, almost as if she were studying him. It excited and made him nervous to have her powerful eyes on him.

"You live?" Aza spoke, her voice was deep and monotone.

"Don't sound so thrilled about it, he might think you like him." Nicholas sang his words in a matching monotone voice.

"And if I were to squeeze your head in the crook of my arm, I can make it pop." Aza spoke harshly but halted when she felt Brother Benjamin's hand on her knee.

"Easy sister, he was simply trying to get a rise out of you," Benjamin seemed to be the voice of reason between the two. "Seems to be his nature."

"Tis true." The fox plucked away at his strings, singing along to no melody except his own.

"And you, how do you feel, my friend?" Benjamin looked at Gideon.

Gideon felt self-conscious under the scrutiny of these strangers who were all looking at him once again. It took him a bit to work up the courage to speak. "I feel a little sore, but fantastic otherwise. Thank you." Gideon's voice was hoarse from his building nervousness.

"Not surprised, you got cut pretty deeply." Finn muttered.

He spit on the whetstone in his hand before going back to working his blade. Gideon watched his brutal technique of sharpening his blade. There was no way his dagger would hold a blade for long at the rate he was going. The baker-fox opened his mouth to offer some advise but jolted at the feeling of fingers caressing the bare patch of skin on his side. Benjamin was leaned close examining the wound.

"Healed up nicely, if I say so myself. Apologies on the missing fur. It'll grow back over time." The spotted cat when back to stirring the stew.

"That's fine, not the first time I lost some fur." Gideon fidgeted with his hands. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you manage to fix me up so well?"

"Magic." Aza stated, plainly.

"Magic?" Gideon cocked his head.

"Yes." Nicholas added in a high-pitched voice.

"It's not really magic, I'm afraid. It's a gift from the divine, many clerics across this world possess such gifts. They can draw power from their faith and focus it on healing a single mammal. It take so much effort to do, but faith can move mountains as they say." Benjamin chuckled lifting the wooden spoon to his lips for a sip.

"Is it ready?" Aza asked.

"Not yet, but soon." Benjamin looked across the fire at the two. "Thank you, gentlemammals, for the spices and the dried meat. Without you this bounty would simply not exist."

"Forget all-" The larger fox began singing but stopped when Finn grabbed the neck of the lute.

"Stop singing!" The small fox gripped his ears in both hands. "See these ears? They're sensitive to annoying noises and your singing is right up there."

"Alright, jeez, you could have just asked." The fox shrugged the criticism off like it was nothing and set his lute aside. "As for you, old round one. It's no problem at all. Finn and I are more than happy to share. Thanks to you, we were able to route those little green nasties before they could do some real damage. Made quite the profit off of them too."

"Looting corpses." Aza grunted.

"It's not like they're going to be using it anymore." Nicholas gave her a wide smile.

"You still defile the dead. There's nothing forgivable about that." Aza got up from the fire and strode off into the woods.

Gideon watched her go. "Is she going to be safe out there alone?"

Benjamin shrugged and nodded. "Physically, I believe so. Emotionally, that is a more in depth question for another day."

"Should you go talk to her?" There was concerned look on Gideon's face.

"Sister Aza has heard everything I have to say on any matter. Perhaps a fresh outlook might help." The chubby cleric used a flip of his head to motion for him to go to Aza.

The pudgy fox got up from the fire and followed the hyena through the bushes. Everything grew darker around him the further he walked into the woods. All around him the world grew quiet with the exception of the rustling bushes that rubbed up against his legs. Through the smell of the stew, the smoke, and the fire, the natural crisp smell of the air treated his nose to its freshness. There was something else though. Something that tingled in his nostrils. There was a hint of her on the breeze. For a warrior who seemed so skilled, she made no attempt to cover up her scent. The wild smell was still as intoxicated as when he first smelled her and it was growing stronger. When he stepped through the trees, he found her standing next a cliff looking out across the field.

"I can smell you," Aza grunted. "You smell of flowers. Do all monks smell like you?"

"Actually, I'm no monk at all." Gideon tucked his hands in his pocket, trying to keep from trembling against the cold. "I'm just a baker."

"A baker, you smell nothing of bread or cake."

"Not all bakers smell the same, I guess." Gideon huffed a laugh, it showed visible on the chilly air.

"I saw you fight, I saw your skill." Aza turned to look at him.

"I'm just good at punching stuff."

This time, it was Aza's turn to laugh. It took Gideon by surprise at first. Her gruff voice hadn't held much in the ways of emotion up until this point. The high-pitched yucking sound of her laugh was pleasant to hear. It was good to see her relaxing in his company.

"Indeed, baker." There was a distant look in her golden eyes. "You've been gifted by Mordith, haven't you?"

"Ah...who?"

"Surely you jest!" Aza gripped his arm tight enough to cause him to wince. "Mordith is the goddess of rage. She is the blood that flows through my people. I saw her take you on the battlefield. You pummeled that creature to pulp beneath your fists."

"Yeah," Gideon rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, you had to see that."

"No, no sorry. It was beautiful!" Aza slipped down to sit in the grass near the edge of the cliff. "Mordith often visits my kind, hyenas of the Sunscorched Sands. Only females are worthy to wield the matron mother's gift."

When Gideon slipped down to sit next to her, she was already studying him again. Picking apart every aspect of who he was just with her eyes. It wasn't until that moment Gideon recognized a familiarity within them. He'd seen them hundreds of times before when he'd looked in the mirror.

"What?" Gideon cocked his head at her.

"Why would Mordith bless a male with such a gift, I wonder?"

"Beats me."

Aza grew quiet for a moment pondering whatever unanswered questions she had bouncing around in her head. Gideon stayed quiet too looking out over the expanse. There was a blanket of trees as far as the eye could see. In the distance lay a large mass of buildings. It looked like a castle surround by a thriving town. It reminded him of the things he saw in Game of Bones. It was real sword and sorcery stuff made real. If the slash in his side and the goblins weren't enough to convince him that he wasn't in a dream, seeing the lush landscape laid out before him surely did.

"You are strange!"

Aza's voice came as such a surprise that it startled him. When he looked at her in the moonlight he caught an angry look on her face. She didn't look back at him, no doubt still lost in her pondering.

"Sitting beside you makes me feel strange. Not one other creature beyond my tribe wields the power of the Matron Mother. Who do you think you are to possess such a gift and just shrug it off like it's nothing." Aza punched him hard in the shoulder before getting to her feet.

"What happened to you?" Gideon got up, clutching his arm tightly.

Aza halted but didn't look back. "Plenty, baker. Not that I would ever tell a wretch like you."

Gideon remained at the edge of the cliff watching as the hyena receded back into the woods in the direction of their camp. Gideon opted not to follow her. Maybe she truly did need to be left alone. Instead, he turned his attention back to the expanse. It may have been the most beautiful sight to behold under the cool moonlight but the nagging hot sting in his shoulder just kept reminding him how much he wished he were home.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

Rude Awakening

Gideon stood in the center of the arena. A coliseum filled to the brim with chanting mammals. They weren't chanting his name, no, it was a name he'd heard before, though foreign to him, Mordith. For some reason, it filled him with such a sense of pride and familiarity. He saw himself in the center of it all as if he were having an out-of-body experience. The young chubby fox stood tall among a carpet of shattered bodies. Some so badly beaten that he couldn't even recognize them as mammals anymore. Leather straps tied tight around his hands, much the same as when he taped them up before boxing practice. The thin straps of leather were drenched in blood. His thick orange fur was covered in dirt and blood. A large gash above his right eyebrow has since dried closed but not before painting his face in a grisly crimson mask.

"Over here!"

A voice rumbled from behind him. The fox turned on his heels and saw a large black figure before him. Its body was nothing more than smoke swirling around itself in a familiar mammalian form. Golden eyes stared out from the black cloud, accompanied by a slacked toothy mouth. Mordith had graced him with her presence and now sought to take her gift from his very skin and bone.

A roar escaped the baker fox but the world around him was soundless. He rushed forward throwing everything he had behind a punch. Mordith opened her arms and welcomed him into the shroud of her body, he was swallowed up. He broke through on the other side falling into the dust. His fur, flesh, and muscle stripped so masterfully from his bones. The bones scattered and rolled across the dirt floor of the coliseum. Mordith turned and looked down at the pile of bones and sneered.

"Get up!"

No matter how hard the fox struggled to put himself back together, the bones wouldn't move. Mordith hunkered down closer, a cruel black tongue curled around her featureless lips as she chided him again.

"I said, get up!"

The voice was sharp enough to cut through the darkness of the dream bringing the chubby fox back into the world. When he opened his blue eyes, the last thing he expected to see was a blade shoved in his face. He followed it all the way up to see a figure silhouetted by early morning sun. It glistened off the chainmail shirt like a thousand burning suns. Gideon reached up to push the blade from his face but it was no use. With a masterful swing, the figure was able to avoid his hand all together and aim the blade back at him just as quick.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The figure's voice was familiar, beautiful in tone.

"Is everything alright over there?" Another voice called out, feminine but much deeper than the others.

"Yes, I think this one's going to be trouble."

"Wait, no. I'll cooperate." Gideon tried to convince the figure that he was harmless, even held up his hands to show he wasn't armed.

"Then get up."

The pudgy fox grimaced as he struggled to get to his feet. There was still a stitch in his side but now it was joined by other aches and pains assaulting his body. The sword shifted away from him but the figure still held it at the ready.

Once Gideon was on his feet, he had a better understanding what was going on. Not too far from where he lay down to sleep, he could see a small carriage pulled up next to the fire they'd sat around. It was nothing more than a few whittled log and iron bars, much like a medieval paddy wagon. Standing at the front of the wagon were four scantily clad mustangs. They were chained to the yolks for pulling purposes. Something swirled in their eyes. Something unholy that caused his stomach to churn. It looked as if they weren't in control of themselves. What manner of thing could have done this to them, Gideon wondered.

Inside the carriage, Gideon could see Benjamin sitting at the front, his hands resting in his lap, bound together. Next to him, Aza was laying on her side arms bound behind her back. Her muzzle tied shut by a bit of rope. A small potato sack lay next to her, it shifted and shimmied as if someone was trying to struggle free, no doubt, that someone was Finn. Lastly, Nicholas was being loaded in. A tall, broad looking female Cape Buffalo shoved a very ornamental looking staff into his back. Her blue and gold robes were mostly clean save for the hem draped around her legs. The look on her face told Gideon that she was tired of dealing with the noisy fox's voice.

"I like a wench in charge, let me tell you." Nicholas teased as he stepped into the back of the carriage.

"Silence you, or I'll tie your muzzle shut like your friend there." This female had been the source of the deeper voice.

"She didn't hurt your feelings by calling you a soulless, magic-wielding freak, did she? That was a compliment, I assure you." Nicholas fired back.

The buffalo female sneered and pointed the weaved wood staff at the Bard fox, muttering something Gideon couldn't hear. A rope snaked its way up Nicholas' thin frame, the fox pleaded against what was inevitably going to happen. The rope entwined itself around the fox's long narrow muzzle growing tighter and tighter until it tied itself off. It left the fox moaning and groaning through a muffled voice. The buffalo gave the smaller figure a hard push, so he fell on the floor of the carriage between Aza and Benjamin.

"Enjoying the show?" Gideon was made aware of how long he'd been watching things unfold.

When he turned to look at the wielder of the sword, it surprised him to see Judy, or more likely a Judy clone. Her purple eyes glared up at him as she lifted the tip of the blade to his face once again. The baker fox held his hands up as a symbol that he didn't want any trouble.

"So let's hear it? Every one of your friends had something to say, I get the feeling you're no different." The Judy clone mused.

"Nothing, ma'am." Gideon cleared his throat.

"Seems like a trick to me." She said using her sword to direct him towards the back of the carriage.

The Judy clone was joined by the large Buffalo female, who wore the same grim look on her face. "And this one?"

"Maybe harmless, Buja, but for good measure bound his hands." She stepped away, sheathing her sword.

"Yes, Captain Hopps." The buffalo, Buja, responded turning her steely gaze to the baker fox.

"Judy?" Gideon whispered hoping that he'd gotten the name right.

At the mention of her name the bunny puffed her chest out, her hand finding her hilt again. Gideon studied her for a brief moment. Her long ears lay back against her head. The chainmail shirt she wore, complimented her gray fur, while the green over shirt contrasted it nicely. The ensemble looked almost too heavy for her to wear but that only eluded to how strong she really was. A smug look came to her face, obviously, Gideon knowing her name was enough to buy him a few seconds to find out more about these two.

"So, you've heard of me?"

"Yes."

Buja grabbed his arms and pulled them back behind his back so she could bind them. As promised, Gideon didn't fight her instead, he kept his eyes locked with the bunny's. She walked up to him, his eyes finding the claw marks on her cheek. A nasty sucker punch that had left a tarnish on her otherwise beautiful face.

The smile fell, taken over by a stone cold voice. "Good, then you know what I'm capable of. If you so much as make a move out of the ordinary, then I will kill you where you stand. You're a fox, I don't like foxes, so there will be no tears shed at your demise. Load him up."

Gideon felt her words rumble through him making his tail twitch nervously. Buja, the buffalo, grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the carriage. He could see Benjamin turning to look at the bunny that was bringing up the rear. There was a sour look on his tired face.

"As a Cleric, I hold certain rights, as you know. I demand to know what charges have been brought against me and my companions."

Gideon felt a sharp shove against the middle of his back causing him to trip on the ramp leading into the carriage. He fell to his knees first before falling with his head on Nicholas' legs. The Bard fox made a sharp grunt and tried to squirm out from under the weight. Gideon tried to help by shimmying the other way. Nicholas glared at the baker fox, who winced and mouthed the word 'sorry'.

Judy tucked her hands behind her back looking at them one at a time as she spoke."True, you do hold that right. You're under arrest for suspicion of stealing from the Crown, an offense punishable by death, if you're found guilty."

"We've stolen nothing," Benjamin grunted, throwing himself against the bars.

"Be that as it may, you should be more careful of the company you keep." Judy gestured to the Bard and the shifting sack.

Nicholas smiled underneath the rope, there was a nervousness in his eyes as he looked around at the rest of the group. Aza grunted and fought to free herself from her bonds. She kicked as hard as she could, her foot connected with Nicholas' rear end. The fox let out a muffled moan and rolled on his stomach to try to escape.

The whole carriage rocked when Judy climbed into the seat, settling in. The same thing happened when Buja sat down, only more so. The buffalo whispered a few strange words and the mustangs chained to the front of the cart started pulling. The rough terrain made it hard to move, even harder to maneuver. They made no sound against the struggle, they just simply pulled harder without a complaint. Magic, Gideon finally got the answer to his question as to what had happened to them.

Judy looked back over her shoulder at them. "King Lionheart will be most pleased to speak with you."

Benjamin grunted and shook his head. "Sister, this is a fine pickle we've landed ourselves in."

Aza glared up at the chubby cheetah and jutted her chin at the Bard as if to demand the Cleric interrogate Nicholas about what he'd done. Benjamin gave a sharp nod and reached out with his bound hands to tear away the rope. Gideon was surprised to find the magic rope give was so easily but he wasn't eager for the flood of words that came from the bard's muzzle.

"Thank you so much. Ugh! I hate having my mouth tied shut-"

"Happens a lot I'd imagine," Benjamin smirked. "Now, explain what the Captain is talking about."

The Bard fox hesitated for a second and smirked. "Well, it's a long story, but it goes a little something like this..."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

A Bard and a Rogue Walk Into a Tavern

Wayward Bar and Inn, etched into the wooden sign that hung above the door. Nicholas couldn't help but think it quite an appropriate name for the hole in the wall type of place it was. The wooden porch creaked under foot as the pair stepped out from the rain. Inside was almost as dark and damp as outside. Everything bathed in the amber glow from the fire pit built into the center of the room. The tables were all empty and only two lone patrons sat at the bar. Both were consumed by the drinks in their mugs. A very large female cow, the bartender, offered them a smile when they walked inside.

"Trouble has come my way," Her voice was deep but held a sweet backwater tone. "A pair of foxes."

Finn glanced at her, making his orange eyes as large as he could. "We don't usually work that way, but if you're offering what I hope you're offering..."

"Not likely, shorty." The cow leaned on the counter in such a way she could show off her well-endowed chest.

Nicholas stifled a laugh, while his eyes took a long drink of those beautiful heaving breasts-

"Ahem."

Nicholas paused his hands making a large breast motion over his chest while he described them. His gaze traced the rest of the group, stopping on Brother Benjamin, who had his ears covered. A smug smirk came to the thin fox's lips.

"Move along, please." Gideon chimed in, giving the thinner fox a gentle slap on his side with his newly freed hands.

"Sorry, I thought it was a very important detail for the sake of story development," Nicholas smiled coyly, it was only rewarded by an exasperated grunt from Aza. "Huh, everyone's a critic."

"So, you're all looking for-" The cow began, when Nicholas chimed in.

"A dark and mysterious stranger in the corner booth, yeah, that's us."

The bartender looked less than amused, she offered a quick nod and pointed towards the corner of the bar. "Yeah, yeah...get moving, fox."

Nicholas offered a smug smile as he started towards the booth in the back corner. Finn, on the other hand, stood for a long moment checking out the cow behind the bar. She pushed her long black hair back behind her ear and shook her head. Even though the answer was 'no', the smile on her face made the rejection sting a little bit less. Finn shrugged and offered her and understanding smile before following the taller fox to the back of the room.

Nicholas thrust his thumbs in his belt as he sauntered up to the booth in the corner. The firelight cast an almost black shadow over it. The figure was leaning against the wall in the booth. The stranger's face was covered by a dark hood, so only her green eyes could be seen amidst the shadow.

"Nicholas Wilde?" A feminine voice filtered out of the darkness.

"Oh, milady." Nicholas offered a smirk. "You must be my contact, miss?"

"My name is not important, what is, is that you are here. Please, be seated."

Finn stepped up to the table just a Nicholas was settling into his seat. The small Fennec fox scrambled up into the booth next to the taller fox. The mysterious figure paid him no mind, she just continued her disinterested stare at the Bard.

"Good, you brought your associate. This task should not be attempted alone."

"I'm all for the dark and mysterious thing, but can we skip it this time. My friend and I have been on the road for several days. I'm both wet and tired and not least of all a little cranky." Nicholas dropped the amusing facade, his face stone.

"To the point, admirable. Fine. My contact has issued a sizable purse in exchange for an item." The stranger reached into her robe producing a pouch from beneath, when she dropped it on the table it made a loud clunk. Nicholas rested his elbows on the table leaning closer. Finn scrambled onto the table sitting down pulling the pouch between his spread legs. There was a hesitation when he went to open it, he expected the stranger to snatch it away, but she didn't. He flipped open the flap to see glittering coins piled to the brim within the pouch. Finn doubted he could even lift the pouch on his own.

"Gold, it's my favorite color," Nicholas whispered, rubbing his hand slowly along the underside of his muzzle.

"Half now, half on delivery." It was the figures time of drop the facade, her voice carrying a hiss within the words.

"Let me get this straight, this is half?" Finn coughed.

"Yes," She offered back.

"And this is ours...right now?" Nick asked.

"Certainly. But if you fail to retrieve the item, or if you fail to deliver it to me, my contacts will hunt you down and kill you. They will kill your friend here and they will kill both of your families." The figure leaned into the light but her hood still shadowed her face, her green eyes glowed with a magical light.

"I...I think I get you." Nicholas grabbed the pouch from the table at the same moment, the figure grabbed his hand.

Even through the black leather glove, he could feel the heat radiating. It was something unnatural, a magic that was older than the world itself. It burned and froze his hand at the same time. Fear sunk into his face, his eyebrows tilting down, his ears fell back. There was a power within this being that made his stomach lurch.

"By the look on your face, Nicholas, I can see you have some idea what I can do to you if you fail to deliver on your promise."

"I do."

"Good. The item in question is none other than the Sunburst Stone."

Finn looked from the Bard to the stranger. "The Sunburst Stone? As in, the same Sunburst Stone that belongs to King Lionheart? The royal stone? Are you addled in the head?"

Her other hand snatched out from under her cloak to grip the small fox around the neck, a strange glowing green light engulfed the stranger's hand. Finn was lifted from the table with ease, choking and struggling to free himself from the grip.

"Secrecy is of utmost important, you little worm." The figure hissed once again.

"Easy, we're all friends here." Nicholas chimed in.

The figure grunted and threw the Fennec into the seat next to the taller fox with a crunch, the wood was unyielding to his weight. "We're concluded here, you have a fortnight to complete this task. I don't need to remind you of what will happen if you fail. Now leave."

Finn didn't waste any time climbing out of the seat. He made his way back across the tavern, looking back in the stranger's direction. Nicholas wanted to say something but couldn't think of anything witty enough to rebut the sudden flexing of power. Instead, he took the pouch of money and followed his friend out the door. Once they stepped back into the rain, Finn wheeled around and looked up at the taller fox.

"This is just great, Nicholas. You really sodded us this time, you know that?"

"How was I suppose to know that she was a magic user?" Nicholas tried to defend herself.

"Every time..." Finn grunted descending the stairs into the mud. "I don't even know why I follow you around the countryside."

The small fox pulled his hood up over his large ears, his voice died down into a mumble as he started walking. Nicholas followed behind feeling the chill from his oldest friend. It was far colder than the weather was. For once, Nicholas had to agree with the little fox, he may have bitten off more than he could chew. A wizard was nothing to sneer at, this one least of all. If she demanded to steal something from the King, her and her contacts must be a force of reckoning. It was no comfort, cold or otherwise. Nicholas was going to have to call upon every dirty trick in his arsenal to pull this off.

"...and the daring foxes managed to steal the item with little to no effort and rode off into the sunset." Nicholas finished the story with a flourish, but no one seemed impressed.

"That's all well and good but how did you actually steal the Sunburst Stone?" Aza grunted, rubbing a raw spot on her wrists.

"I...I just told you. Used every dirty trick in my...were you not listening?" Nicholas uttered.

"That doesn't tell us anything, fox." Aza barked.

"Shut up back there." The captain hollered back from her seat at the reigns.

"Well, Happy! I don't want to reveal all my tricks to the likes of you, alright?" Nicholas hissed through clenched teeth.

"We know a guard at the castle, he's addicted to...some stuff. We help him acquire it on a regular basis." Finn explained from his perch on the baker fox's thigh. "The guys got a silver tongue, can charm the keys away from jailer or a bodyguard, no problem."

"Thanks for giving away the trade secrets, bud. I'm-" Nick started.

"Shut up," Aza wrapped her large hand around the fox's narrow muzzle. "It seems I have to keep you alive a little longer, as you may still be of some use to me."

"This is all well and good, y'all, but we're stuck in this cage on our way to Deadsville." Gideon couldn't resist pointing out the obvious.

"Deadsville? I thought we were going to the castle." Aza glared at the other fox.

"W-we...we are. It's just a...you know what, never mind. We gotta focus on getting outta this." Gideon looked out at the countryside crawling past.

"Am I to assume you were successful in your mission?" Benjamin asked, making little circles at his temples with his fingers.

"Of course, does no one around here listen?"

"And that you're still in possession of the item?"

"Well, yeah."

"So, you've not returned it to your contractor?"

"If I still have it, then the answer is..." Nicholas held the 'is' for a long moment.

"No...no. Well, here is my plan on the matter. I say we see it through. If we return the stone, the king may be lenient with his punishment. If not, then we'll explain that we had nothing to do with heist. King Lionheart isn't completely unreasonable. Either way, he'd be very interested to hear that this powerful magic user is roaming the countryside unchecked. It's not much of plan but it's certainly better than living on the run. Sister Aza and I have our own problems to deal with."

"Whoa, now! I've heard it tossed around a few times, what is all this crap about magic users?" Gideon's voice spiked, so his was the only one heard.

"Have you been living under a rock?" A voice came from the seats up front, the deeper tone signifying it was Buja, who spoke.

"Let's just say, I'm not from around here."

"Mages, Sorcerers, Magic Users, we're not all a specific breed of mammal. It's more like a birth defect. Some are born weaker of body but are able to wield great magic from the elements. Others are born with just enough knowledge to control a few spells." Buja was kind enough to explain the situation to the pudgy fox. "Some live normal lives, until adolescence, then for some reason they start sleep casting. This causes whole villages to be destroyed sometimes, which is why magic users are forced to register with the kingdom's administration. We are placed under the watchful eye of the court wizards. I myself have been assigned to Captain Hopps for quite some time."

"So, it's like a permanent prison?" The fox summarized.

"No, nothing like that. I opted for this life because I didn't want to hurt anyone. From it, I've gained a well-paying job and a friend. There are others who think it's cruel to harness free-spirited mages and some may find their way alone, but not without harming others and destroying villages. To each their own, I say, I care not for their opinions." The deep voice rumbled, there was affection in her words.

Gideon looked at Aza and then at Benjamin. "So you're, his handler." He hated to use such a crass word for the situation.

"We are friends and siblings in the eyes of the divine." Benjamin chuckled.

"No, little one." Buja began again. "Clerics are altogether different, they draw their magic from their fate. Healing spells, and dispel magic does not a village burn. The stronger the faith, the stronger the magic."

Gideon leaned against the wall of the cart wincing at the fresh pain in his side. "Uh...this is all so confusing." His anger was more from the pain than the actual situation.

"It takes time, baker fox. Everything can not be laid out before you on a scroll." Aza mumbled. "I myself am still learning the ways of faith and magic. My people despise such trickery."

"That's enough, sister." Benjamin touched her hand.

Gideon rubbed his side slowly. The knot-like flesh shifted uneasily, it sent shock waves of pain through his body. For now, the baker fox would remain quiet, trying to catalog all the new information he'd been given. Quietly, he cursed not paying more attention to Finnick's instructions on how to play Dungeons and Dragons. No doubt that knowledge would come in real handy right now.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six:

Welcome to the Castle

As the cart rolled up through the front gate of the castle, Gideon pushed his muzzle between the bars to get a better look at the large structure that stretched out before him. In the light of the evening sun, it sang of an immense majesty that could only be captured by film or art. The pudgy fox had never seen anything so incredible before in his life. Nicholas gripped the pudgy fox's bicep and leaned close enough to his lips touched the crest of Gideon's ear.

"Welcome to Castle Zootopia, where you can be anything you want to be," The warm breath tickled the inside of his ear, causing a tremble to run up his spine. "And tonight, we be dead."

Gideon was torn between which he wanted to laugh, the cruel joke or the smug look on the fox's handsome face. Neither seemed to be funny but the dwelling fear inside of him was starting to surface. If things didn't go well, this might actually be his last day to live. The feeling only intensified, when the carriage came to a halt. It shifted coarsely from side to side as Buja and the Captain climbed down from their seats.

The cage door opened. It was easy to see that Captain Hopps wasn't the least bit impressed that her prisoners had removed their bonds. Her hand found the hilt of her sword with little effort. This intimidation tactic was to let each of them know, she was prepared to deal with anything that arose. Brother Benjamin pushed his way to the front, holding his arms out in a peaceful gesture.

"Hold your blade, Captain, we have no intention of causing trouble. You have my word as a servant to the divine." A friendly smile never left the cheetah's round face. His eyes carried a real brotherly glimmer in them.

"I don't deal well with promises from thieves." The bunny's response was as cold as her demeanor.

"I will vouch for them, milady. He's a Cleric, his faith means more than his life. If he gives his word, then it is as true as the sun will rise." Buja rested her hand on her Captain's shoulder.

"I guess there is always things to learn." The Captain smiled. It was a beautiful smile, one that reminded Gideon of the Judy from his world. It caused a swirl of homesickness to churn in his stomach.

The Captain took a step back, giving ample room for the large Cleric to step down. The whole cart jolted at the shift of weight. When Gideon stepped down, he saw the rows of armor-clad soldiers moving out the courtyard. Each of them wore a coat of arms upon their chest. The pattern was set in a quadrant with two green squares across from each other and two black ones running opposite. In the center, a gilded lion wearing a crown and wielded a sword and a shield. The soldiers paid the fox no mind as they stood like statues, ready to mobilize at a moments notice.

The Captain offered a light shove to the fox's side, bringing him around to look at her. For being so small, she was very strong and seemed far too brutal. Her eyebrows were pinched angrily over her beautiful purple eyes. Gideon felt trapped by her gaze. Shy of it. She may bear his Judy's likeness but that was where the similarities stopped.

"Stick with the group, fox." She ordered. Hearing the words in Judy's voice never ceased to sting.

Gideon struck up a conversation as he fell in behind Aza. "Sorry, ma'am. I was just admiring those badge thingies."

It was odd to him, that the bunny didn't hesitate to engage in the conversation, though she didn't waste a glance his way while they spoke as they made their way to the castle. "This is the Kingdom of Zootopia's Coat of Arms, all the soldiers wear them. So, you truly aren't from around here? We don't get many outside visitors."

"I can't venture a guess why you're all so inviting."

Gideon's words stretched as his mouth hung open. His eye wide as they climbed the steps to the massive door that stretched several dozen feet high. A door that was clearly meant to be more ornamental than practical since it would take a hundred mammals to open it. Ahead of them, on either side of the door, were two more guards. These two wore shinier armor with golden pauldrons on their shoulders. Large green plumes of feathers stuck out from their helmets. Where the other soldiers had face guards to protect them in combat, these ones didn't. To the right was a white leopard with blue eyes, to the left was a cougar with brown eyes. They regarded the captain with a respectful bow.

"At ease, Olivinder, Torvin. What's the news?"

"The king is meeting with the wild clans today." The leopard, Olivinder, stated, her voice was luscious, like silk.

"Talks are not going well. They're seeking more land to the north and are unhappy with the king's already generous offerings." Torvin, the cougar, added, his voice stern and coarse.

"It would be fair to assume the king is in a foul mood." The captain rubbed her neck.

"That would be a fair assumption." Olivinder glanced at the group gathering behind the captain. "May I inquire about your...friends?"

"Thieves. They stole something very important from the king."

"Oh, in that case, I'm sure the king would be more than happy to deal with it. I would ask the king's adviser first, though." Torvin added with a wicked smile.

"Where is she?"

"She should be in the main hall directing the delegates to where they need to be." Olivinder added.

The captain nodded. "If that's what I must do I suppose."

Olivinder opened a much smaller door set into the larger one and stepped aside. The captain was the first through the door. While the rest filed in behind. Gideon rubbed his eyes trying to get them to adjust to the dark chamber within. The ceiling was so high he couldn't even see it. The only light in the room came from several candelabras set throughout the giant chamber. But the candlelight was barely bright enough to fight back the darkness.

At the far end of the chamber was a large door. In front of it, stood a sheep wearing elaborate purple robes. Green eyes were hidden behind a pair of spectacles. Her soft voice echoed at the very corners of the chamber. Before her stood a rather dirty looking wolf, scantly clad in unpolished leather. Warpaint crusted into his fur at various points all over his body. The wolf cocked his head while the sheep spoke to him. His ears shifting around as if he were struggling to understand her. Gideon couldn't blame him. He was having a hard time making out what the sheep was talking about. What he could figure out was that the sheep was struggling to get her point across to the wild-looking wolf.

The group took a few more steps into the room before the captain stopped them. Not wanting to interrupt the sheep while she was conversing with the wild clan member, she urged them to stay close. Gideon took this time, to look around the room. Beneath his feet was a lush woven carpet with a mural sewn into it. The baker-fox was too close to really make out what he was seeing, but it was beautifully crafted.

"What does all this mean?" Gideon whispered to Nicholas.

"It's the history of Zootopia as told in rug form."

"Too bad I can't see the whole thing, I bet it's a great story."

"It is. But remember, history is written by the victor." The bard's green eyes pierced the darkness.

"Silence!" Judy barked.

The sound of her voice spiking in the quiet room halted the sheep's conversation. She looked up from her meeting with the wolf to gaze of the bunny. The fake smile the sheep pasted on her face slipped into a frown. Quickly, she looked back at the wolf.

"If you'd be so kind as to excuse me for a second. Something's just come up."

The wolf nodded, if he had any emotion other than befuddlement, it didn't show. Instead, he watched as she sheep started across the large chamber in the direction of the group. Gideon could make out more features as she drew close. The soft white fur of her face was muddled with tattoos. None that the baker-fox could really discern, but it gave her a wicked look. When she halted in front of the captain, Gideon finally recognized her as none other than Miss Bellwether. It was starting to make sense that this place ran parallel to the world he came from.

"The king is not to be disturbed, Captain Hopps." Bellwether's voice made her sound a bit short of patience, though she still managed to be polite.

"Yes, Olivinder informed me, but we have the slime that stole the Sunburst Stone," Judy responded in the same tone.

"Do you? Excellent! I'll deliver the news to his majesty at once." The adviser drummed her fingers together.

"Shall we follow, then? I'd like to conclude this experience as soon as possible." Judy smirked.

"I'm sure you would, but right now the king is busy with the wolf clan." Bellwether rubbed her chin in contemplation. "Oh, in the meanwhile, you can send this rabble to the guest room. Get them cleaned up and ready to meet the king." Bellwether sneered at each of them, her gaze stopping on the captain.

"Seems a bit out of the ordinary. They are just common criminals." Judy mused.

"Yes, well the poor king has been meeting with unwashed and unkempt rutabagas all day. The least we can do is clean these ones up to give him reprieve before he continues his meetings with the Wild Clan." Bellwether whispered so the wolf couldn't hear.

"Well, I suppose that-" Judy started.

"Madame," Benjamin stepped forward with his hand open in front of him. "I invoke the powers of the cloth in this matter. I'm not to be harmed, nor is Sister Aza. We were merely on a pilgrimage when we were accosted by the Captain."

"A Cleric?" Bellwether offered him a skeptical glance. "Very well. The king is bound by god to follow such a request. Neither of you shall be harmed then, as long as you're found innocent."

"Of course, and thank you for being reasonable." Benjamin looked back at Aza, giving her a thumbs up.

"Now, if there is nothing else." Bellwether looked at the others before looking at Judy. "Captain, take them to the guest chambers and lock them in. I'll send for the servant to report in. Our...guests are to be bathed and clothed. You and your ward shall keep guard until I send for you."

"Ma'am?" Captain Hopps cocked her head.

"Did I stutter, Captain?"

"No, Ma'am."

"Then see to it and remember, if anything happens to them, I'll have your heads." Bellwether turned away shaking her head as she returned her attention to the delegate that still stood patiently waiting for her.

"Wow, Carrots, for a minute there, the love between you two was so palpable, I almost swooned." Nicholas wrapped an arm crossed her shoulders.

The bunny gripped the collar of his tunic. "If there were to be an accident that ended your life, I don't think anyone would mourn you."

Gideon cupped his muzzle to stifle a laugh. It was impressive that the Bard fox was able to keep the smirk even admits the death threats. Judy on the other hand, simply grunted and gave him a firm shove towards one of the staircases that lined the wall.

"I would, buddy." Finn added giving the taller fox a pat on his thigh.

"I never doubted you for a second, my man." Nicholas looked down at the smaller fox.

The staircase was impossibly high. Gideon's legs were burning from the workout. He found himself out of breath for the first time in a long while. The stitch in his side was acting up as well and didn't help the extra exertion.

Luckily, their destination was at the top of the stairs. Gideon expected to see a luxurious guest room behind the closed-door, but what he found was a meager room, barely large enough to house the five of them. A tiny bed was pushed against the stone wall. It was barely big enough to sleep two no less five of them. There was a pair of hardwood chairs on either side of a small wooden table, in the corner. The only other piece of furniture was a thin dresser across from the bed, a water pitcher and basin were set on top of it. A chest sat at the foot of the bed and a chamber pot rested in the corner behind a dividing screen.

"Guest room?" Benjamin panted before he flopped on the bed.

"More like an unwelcomed guest room, if you ask me." Nicholas joked, though his face revealed that even he didn't think it was funny.

"That's funny. Are you sure your pathetic attempts at humor aren't just some way to cover up your own lowly insecurities?" Captain Hopps turned to face the fox, she was the only one smiling.

Nicholas gasped, touching his fingers to his lips. "Oh no," When he pulled his hand away, his lips curved into a cruel smirk. "You figured me out, so much for my mysterious playboy facade."

Buja snorted, trying to curve the fit of laughter building inside. "You...uhm...are to wait here. A group of servants should be up soon to tend to your needs."

"The door will be locked, but if you need anything, Buja and I will be right outside." The captain added.

"I'd like to order a wench. I have special needs that only skilled hands can take care of." Nicholas was quick to catch them before they stepped into the hall.

"Allow me to reiterate. If any of you, beside the fox, need anything, don't hesitate to let us know. Enjoy your stay." Judy's eyes never left Nicholas' as she spoke.

Buja stepped out first, Judy glared at the Bard until the door closed between them. Gideon could hear the heavy tumblers in the lock turn, followed by a heavy clack of the lock sealing them inside. Finn climbed up onto the bed next to Benjamin. The rest of the group looked around the room. There wasn't much else to see. No one wanted to move for fear of bumping into the others.

"Ugh, I've seen closets at the cloister with more space in them than this." Aza grunted, leaning against the wall.

Gideon moved to lean next to her, it seemed the best thing he could do to stay out of the way. Nicholas sat in one of the wooden chair resting his lute on the table.

"Couldn't agree more, sister. Let's try not to focus on it too much. I suggest we get comfortable. There's no telling how long this will take." Brother Benjamin argued before leaning back on the bed.

Gideon wasn't sure what to think about everything that was going on. Though he couldn't shake the gnawing feeling in his gut that told him, whatever happened, it wasn't going to end well.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven:

Pearls before Swine

A group of eight servants managed to squeeze themselves into the room, luckily each of them were small, young bunnies, only a few was larger than the captain. Small in stature, maybe, but very thorough with their work and all organized in working together. Four of them carried the food in a large cauldron. Immediately, they started spooning some into bowls for the group. Another stepped in with several metal buckets stacking them near the hearth before working to build a fire. The last three carried in a large wooden water basin, setting it in the corner of the room.

Once the fire was going, the one who built it warmed buckets of water to fill the bathing basin. Two of the servant bunnies, a brown and white spotted lop-eared bunny and a solid gray rabbit, unfolded the dividing screen for some privacy. The small group watched the servant work while they enjoyed their stew. The large meaty chunks were soft and paired well with the fresh veggies floating in the thick broth. A few crusts of bread were the perfect addition to cleaning out the bowls.

After everyone had eaten their fill, Aza was the first to be bathed. Gideon could hear her fussing and grumbling at the roaming hands that worked to clean her ever crevice. A soft voice, cooed to her, explaining that they were very good at what they did. Aza had a few more spiteful words to utter, but afterward, she simmered down and accepted the grooming. Once she was out of the tub she hurried from behind the divider giving everyone a full glimpse of her nakedness. There were scars covering her body, bare patches weaving throughout her fur. The small mounds of her breasts were peaked with tightly turned, large dark nipples. There were two other sets, smaller in size, that lay underneath. Just like her other world counterpart, Aza's pseudo-penis was drawn tight against the chill in the room.

"Well, I'll be. It's true what they say about hyena females. That's something to log in my book of songs to sing later." Nicholas kept his eyes locked on the small dark-skinned growth.

"If you so much as utter one word, I shall cleave you in half." Aza glared.

"Hyena maiden captured my heart..." He began.

"Stop it." Aza hissed.

Finn fell back on the bed, letting out a high-pitched laugh. The sound caused Aza to clench her fists so tightly her hands shook with rage. Even Benjamin was forced to stifle his laugh. Gideon stayed quiet, watching Aza cover herself away. It amazed him, how much his Aza mirrored this one. It caused a homesick feeling to swirl in his tummy.

"Oh, what web she weave to tangle." Nicholas let out a beautiful high tone, strumming in pitch with his voice.

Aza lurched towards him. Gideon was quick to wrap his arms around her midsection feeling her naked, wet body tightly against him. One boob pressed again his cheek, her hardened nipple poking him. Gideon's face ignited into an inferno. So burning hot with a blush that helped him keep his composure against the teasing lyrics the Bard sang.

"Broke my heart when I saw her dangle..." The fox let his voice slip to a deep rumbling tone, holding it.

"That's enough!" Aza was clearly angry, a bright red blush piercing the tan fur on her cheeks.

"Easy." Gideon uttered through a hitching chuckle. "He's just playing, don't let him get to you."

"I..." Aza let out a growl and relaxed in the baker's grip. "You must sleep sometime, Bard."

"Excuse me." The mousy lop-eared bunny whispered. "I'm ready for the next one."

Finn slid from the bed to the floor. "Alright, I'm looking forward to your magic hands cleaning all my filth off."

"I must remind you, this is not that kind of bath, sir." The lop-eared lead him behind the screen.

"You say that now, that'll all change, just you wait." Finn snickered.

A pair of bunnies stepped up and spirited Aza to the other corner of the room. They worked to dress her in a beige tunic and brown pants. It was a plain looking outfit that matched the color of her fur a little too well. It wasn't an attractive look, but Gideon knew he shouldn't complain. They were free clothes after all and he would, at least, have a shirt again.

A few minutes passed and Finn stepped out from behind the screen. With a towel covering his modesty. The lop-eared following behind. Her cheeks flushed bright red and a coy smile hung from her lips.

Finn looked back at her and touched her chin affectionately. "See, told you."

"I, am going to need to lay down for a while." She said reaching up and rubbed the cheek he'd touched.

Without another word, the lop-eared walked to the door, knocking on it. A moment later the door opened and she disappeared through it. Everyone turned to glare at the small fox. He gave a sly smirk before walking over to the dressers in the corner.

A dark furred rabbit cleared his throat. "We should hurry, I would hate to disappoint the captain by failing in this task."

The bunny was handsome and tall by bunny standards and Gideon, who had just recovered from the blush that assaulted him earlier was starting to feel the burn again. The pudgy baker-fox got up from the wooden chair a little more eager than he meant too. The rabbit gave a warm smile and nodded him back behind the screen. A smaller male with cream colored fur was waiting back there with a brush and a bottle of scented oil.

The dark male reached down gripping the band of Gideon's pants giving them a firm jerk. The gesture caused a tingle deep inside the pudgy fox. A puzzled look washed over the young male's face. He knelt down in front of the baker for a better look. The gesture made the blush grow even brighter on Gideon's face.

"These are curious trousers," He mused running his fingers along the denim.

"Would..." Gideon huffed. "Would you like me to help you with that?"

"Please,"

Gideon unbuttoned his jeans pushing them down so the pooled around his ankles. He was left standing in a pair of heart-shaped boxers. Again a confused look came to the young male's face. The rabbit played with the elastic band on the shorts before pulling them down.

"Interesting. You have a small set of trousers under your trousers. What a strange land you must come from." The rabbit looked up at Gideon with his dark brown eyes.

"You don't know the half of it, buddy," Gideon smirked, as the smaller male rabbit helped him into the tub.

"Just relax, we're just going to make you feel good." The dark male said dumping some of the warm water over his pudgy body.

"I've no doubts there." Gideon rested his feet on the lip of the wooden basin before he closed his eyes.

The dark rabbit had been true to his word, Gideon felt so clean and refreshed. Nothing scandalous happened behind the screen. It was simply a bath but the pair of rabbits had taken to massaging the oils into his fur. Any tight muscle in his body was relaxed. The baker-fox was so relaxed that he stumbled out from behind the screen. Brother Benjamin was all too eager to take his place once the two young males came on duty.

Gideon moved over to the dressers, the two females were already starting to choose whatever size shirt that would fit him. A burgundy tunic, that was actually a little too large for him. He stepped down into a pair of baggy, gray trousers, tucking in the hem of his shirt before one of the bunnies worked to tie the string at the front of the pants. Despite the coarse fabric, the outfit was surprisingly comfortable. Aza, however, didn't agree. Gideon had been watching her tug at her sleeves the whole time he'd been getting dressed. When he moved over to stand with her. She glared at him, her golden eyes looked haggard.

"I hate this." Aza grunted tugging hard on her shirt sleeves. "I don't know how anyone can dress up like this, I feel like a jester."

"Gotta be honest, I was kinda wondering the same thing," Gideon smirked up at her.

Gideon turned, gripping one of her shirt sleeves. With a hard pull, he was able to rip the sleeve off at the crudely sewn hem. Aza watched, a wave of relief coming to her face as she felt the fabric fall away. Once it was gone, the pudgy fox moved to the other sleeve, giving it the same treatment. Aza squished his face with her coarse hands. She smiled, it's a stern straight-lipped look. There was an affection behind it that Gideon had never seen before. It was sweet enough to make him smile in return. Aza was all too eager to return the favor. Giving the baker's sleeves a firm pull.

"Barbarians." Nicholas uttered, watching as they destroyed their shirts. "You should have enjoyed it for at least a little while longer. I'm fairly certain our next makeovers won't be as pleasant."

"How so?" Gideon cocked his head.

"They're gonna execute us. Probably in the morning, unless they're total dicks and decide to throw us in jail and torture us to see if we know anything." Finn explained, adjusting to fit back in his original outfit. The dressers didn't have anything small enough to fit the tiny fox.

"I'm certain that it won't come to that. We just need to have faith that the king is a reasonable mammal." Benjamin stepped out from behind the screen, shyly covering himself away from prying eyes.

"I'm all fine with you believing in your god or goddess, or whatever you believe in and that through your faith you're gonna be saved. But I'd personally like to have a back-up plan if this all goes south in a hurry." Gideon whispered, crossing his arms.

"Who is this that stand before me. Those are not the words of the baker fox I once knew." Aza rested a strong hand on his shoulder.

"Nope, still a baker-fox, but I ain't gonna be baking much of anything if I'm dead." Gideon gave her a coy smile.

"Don't you two worry your pretty little heads. I have a plan already worked out." Nicholas had a smug look on his face.

"Care to share it with the rest of us, Bard?" Aza grunted.

"Nah, it's a need to know basis and you don't need to know, right now." Nicholas used his claw to pick a piece of meat from between his teeth.

"Of all the-" Aza was interrupted by the door opening.

Captain Hopps stepped into the room with Buja behind her. There was a stern look on her face. Everyone had been bathed as per Bellwether's orders. That is except for Nicholas, who was still clad in his Bard's attire. An angry look came to the bunny's face as she glared at the young dark male.

"Why isn't he prepped and ready?" Judy spoke through gritted teeth.

"Lucia got sick and needed to leave, thus we fell behind. I'm terribly sorry for my failings." The rabbit uttered, his ears falling back against his head.

"It can't be helped," Judy pursed her lips. "Report to the scullery, you'll have a week's worth of duties to attend to, there."

"No, don't do that to him. Why don't you just go outside and come back in a few minutes? Then I'll be nice and squeaky clean. Then, nothing bad has to happen to this beautiful example of rabbithood." Nick chided the captain, his smile so wide it showed all of his teeth.

"I gave him an order and he failed to follow it. He shall be punished as will the others." Judy snapped.

"Oh, I think I get it. You're just jealous because he's more attractive than you." Nicholas bit his bottom lip, waiting to see her reaction.

Judy drew her sword in blinding speed, digging the tip of the blade in the fox's throat. "One more word and I will kill you."

Nicholas didn't lose his cool nature. "Are you done? There's nothing you can do to me, lap dog. Any harm that comes to me and you'll never get your precious stone back. So," Nicholas leaned back, pushing the sword away from his throat. "If we're finally ready to get the party started, I'm getting tired of waiting around."

"Enjoy this while you can, fox. Soon you'll be useless to the king and then...I'll have my way with you." Judy growled at him.

Nicholas' eyes went wide and his smirk faded for only a second. Judy's face shifting from its stern demeanor to a look of surprise when she realized her own phrasing. Quickly she walked to the door, avoiding any further teasing from the Bard.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight:

Hail to the King...

The throne room was impressive, to say the least. The beautiful red carpet that led straight up the middle of the floor was masterfully woven with a golden thread stitched into the edge. On either side of the room, were two large fireplaces. The openings carved to look like an open lion's mouth, teeth and all. Each opening large enough for the baker fox to walk in and out without a problem. The raging fire within lapped so high that Gideon though he could see the devil himself was licking the lion's lips in the unholy orange glow. It helped brighten the room but only barely. The rest of the room was shrouded in shadows. At the end of the rug, a short flight of steps led to a luxurious throne. Hand carved from an ancient tree and etched with gold.

Seated atop the majestic throne with one leg resting on the arm was a stately looking lion in an expensive robe. The collar was lined with the fur of his families' ancient fallen enemies, or at least that's what Nicholas had told the baker fox upon entry. King Leodore Lionheart, Gideon shouldn't be so surprised knowing just how parallel the universes seemed to work. The lion held a golden goblet, encrusted with jewels, in his claws. He swirled the wine around the goblet and looked up at the group that stood before him. That was when Gideon saw the ragged look on the king's face. Bloodshot eyes, heavy with dark circles surrounding them. A slack jaw that showed off his large fangs. A dribbled wine smear running from the corner of his mouthing to his jaw line. He looked tired and worn, something had been keeping him awake at night.

The king shifted in his seat, putting both feet on the floor. He raised his cup to his lips tipping it back with his head, swallowing down the last of his wine. A burgundy line ran from the corner of his mouth and down his jaw. Lionheart wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and tossed the goblet away. It clattered loudly across the floor, the sound caused the captain to wince.

From behind his throne, stepped a familiar figure. The sheep was pleased to see the captain and her entourage once again. One of her hands swept along the king's furry collar, letting her fingers mingle in his mane. He looked at her, his dark brown eyes trembling to focus. The forced smile on his face nearly drowned the look of distaste he had for his adviser. Bellwether simply cooed at him and wiped the wine from his jawline with her thumb.

"You majesty. Captain Hopps and company has arrived." Her voice was soft as a whisper. It made little difference in the giant chamber. It echoed around in the whispers of a ghost in the shadows.

"I see that, Bellwether. What are they doing here?" Lionheart's voice was barely a growl.

"Captain Hopps, if you'd please." The sheep turned her green gaze towards the bunny.

The bunny stepped forward, hitting her breast hard with a closed fist in a salute. Gideon remembered when the soldiers in the square had done the same thing. Perhaps a gesture of respect, or a salute of some fashion. The clunk echoed through the chamber. It left everyone waiting in the midst of an eerie distant clank sound until it faded. Judy knelt down at the foot of the stairs showing her obedience to the king. Lionheart gave a more sincere smile to the smaller mammal before waving her to rise.

Nicholas elbowed his way through the group to stand next to the baker fox. "The witch up there next to the king." The fox's warm breath ruffled Gideon's ear fur making his shudder. "I get the feeling I've seen her before. Do you know who she is?"

"I think that's Bellwether, adviser or something." Gideon offered a sideways glance to the bard fox as he rubbed the tingling out of his ear.

"She just seems so familiar." Nicholas rubbed his chin in contemplation.

"Well, speak!" Barked the king, looking down at bunny.

Captain Hopps got to her feet, her hand linked in front of her. "You highness, these are the ones suspected of stealing the Sunburst Stone."

Lionheart's demeanor changed. Instead of standing tall and stoic, he hunched his shoulders. His clawed hands gripping at nothing before him. A manic look taking over his stern face. "And do they have it now?"

Captain Hopps turned and looked back at the darkness behind the rest of group. From the shadows stepped the spotted lop-eared female bunny and the dark male rabbit, the servants from before. Their eyes were wide with fear, their noses twitching uncontrollably. Judy gave them an urgent head thrust as if to tell them to answer the king's question. Gideon saw a wicked smile come to the Bard fox's face. There would be no way they could answer the question accurately since they never bathed Nicholas in the first place. The two bunnies looked at each other, a grim frown spread across their lips, before looking back at the captain. Both of them shook their heads feverishly. Judy's lips drew tight enough to show off her buck-teeth.

"No, sire." Judy's voice trembled as she turned to face him.

"Then how are you certain these are the ones who stole it?!" Lionheart reeled around to face Bellwether, his booming voice caused her to stagger back a few steps.

It only took a second for the sheep to recover. Adjusting her spectacles, a quick smoothing of her purple robes before she offered a smug smile in return for his building tantrum. "Well, let's just say a little bunny told me..."

The king wasn't impressed with her musings. "To the point, witch!"

"Certainly." Bellwether bowed her head.

A loud clack from her snapping her hoof-tipped fingers filled the chamber. The door at the far end of the chamber opened and two familiar soldiers, Torvin and Olivinder, stepped into the room dragging a small rabbit behind them. A knotted rope tied around his neck, barely loose enough to keep from strangling him. His clothes were ripped and torn, his face and body were beaten and tortured to the point of his staggered steps. His hands were bound in front of him, the rope tight enough to cut off circulation. His voice was nothing more than a pleading sobs lost in exhaustion. The closer he got to the group, the more they parted to give the three of them room to pass. Gideon heard the bard fox inhale sharply between his teeth at the sight of the rabbit's bloodied face. Even with it being bruised and swollen, Nicholas recognized his friend, the one that helped him get the stone in the first place.

The king also recognized the rabbit on the lead and growled. "Peter! What is the meaning of this, Bellwether? What have you done to my nephew?" By the look on his face, he'd never been made aware of the severe beating that was ordered to be given to the young rabbit.

"Peter." Gideon heard a surprised noise catch in Nicholas' throat, this realization took him by surprise.

"Your adopted nephew," Bellwether made sure she emphasized 'adopted' sharply enough to cause the king to bear his teeth. "has developed an interesting past time-"

"No, Uncle! Don't listen to her, she's a liar." The rabbit urged. He fought against the rope around his neck. His soft voice muffled by his swollen bottom lip. There was a panic setting in his eyes when he turned to look at Nicholas. Gideon felt the other fox grip his bicep hard enough to hurt the muscle.

"What are you talking about? I will not ask again," The king raised his hand as if he were going to strike the sheep.

"Your nephew has developed quite the habit for Moon Juice, which our dear Nicholas Wilde supplies for him on frequent occasions," Bellwether ran her fingers along the polished wooden arm of the throne, getting closer to the king.

"And?" Lionheart's eyebrows furrowed tighter, his patience running thin.

"Why don't you tell him, Peter!" Bellwether demanded.

"I...I was the one who got the key for him, Uncle. The bard addicted me to this vice, to use me for his own gain. I'm so sorry, goddess knows I need help." Tears welled in the rabbit's eyes, his shoulder hitching from his tears.

The king slowly descended the stairs to join the rabbit. The fluttering of his eyelids made it seem as if he were having trouble processing everything the rabbit, his nephew, told him. Lionheart's caressed his massive hand along the rabbit's cheek affectionately. The rabbit respectfully kissed the large ruby ring on his uncle's finger. Tears came harder now, the sight forced the king's eyebrows to arch down in sadness.

"Peter, we all fall victim to charlatans from time to time. It is their nature to deceive even those pure of heart and ever purer of intent. I will help you..." The king stepped away, sparing a glance up at the cougar. "Torvin, please help my...nephew."

The cougar hesitated for only a second, he drew his sword. The sound of the blade singing from its sheath hadn't even had a chance to stop its song before the blade plunged deeply into the rabbit's back and out the front. A shower of blood spilled from the wound onto the red carpet below. Gideon noticed it was the exact same color, only darker from being wet. That was the last thing he remembered before vomiting his stew onto the polished tile floor.

The king, who hadn't even bothered to watch, ascended the stairs. Captain Hopps lurched forward, her hand found her hilt with ease. The blade, singing its war cry, as she loosed it from its home. Buja rested her hand on the bunny's shoulder keeping her from doing anything rash.

Nicholas pushed past the startled Olivinder catching the small rabbit before he hit the floor. Nicholas cradled the rabbit in his arms as they sunk to the floor. Their eyes met in a sad conversation. Even through tear filled eyes, the baker fox could see the emotion in the Bard's face. It was the first time he'd seen any trace of it. There was something beneath his snarky exterior, after all.

"Peter, no! Come on, buddy. Talk to me." Nicholas wiped away a line of blood dripping from the corner of the rabbit's lips.

"We, we had some good times...didn't we, Nicholas?" A smile came to the rabbit's face. There was something beautiful and innocent in the smile that pained Gideon. As it faded the rabbit's shuddering voice whispered. "Nick, are you...you still there. I can't see you...don't leave me?"

When the rabbit's voice stopped, his chest rose one final time and didn't raise again. Nicholas let his body settle to the floor before getting to his feet. He stared daggers into the King. The lines had been drawn in the sand, it was now time to see who would be the first to step over them.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine:

According to the Plan.

"Are you addled! How...how could you?!" Judy's voice filled the chamber with an ear-piercing rage.

Despite Buja's firm grip on her captain's shoulder, the bunny still managed to raise her sword towards the king. Behind her beautiful, serene eyes, raged a fiery flame. Gideon could see her pull against the strong grip that kept her from doing any more foolishness.

"Know your place, Captain! Or you and your lap dog will join him." Lionheart pointed at the crumpled corpse bleeding out on the crimson rug.

The Captain flinched from the spike in the lion's words. The fury in her eyes was only matched by the sleep deprived insanity in the King's. The mania radiated from his every fiber. His posture told a story of how unhinged he'd become. From the crooked crown on his brow, to the hunched shoulders. The way he turned to face her, the once noble king was gone, leaving only a demon wearing his skin. When his gaze left her, she let loose a visual sigh and fell back against the large Cape Buffalo, that once held her back, now kept her from falling.

Brother Benjamin pushed his way through, falling to his knees next to the crumpled body. Blood soaking the knees of his pants. He untied the ankh that hung at his hip and started uttering a soft prayer for the fallen rabbit. Lionheart glared at the fat cheetah, his lips pursed tightly around his fangs. There was no remorse in his face, just a well of darkness. When he could no long stand the utterance to the invisible goddess, he turned his gaze to the Bard.

"Step forward, fox." The king's voice rumbled in his throat.

Nicholas remained where he was, his fists clenched at his sides. Lionheart shot a glance to the two guards, that now stood slack-jawed. Torvin had discarded his sword next to Peter's body. His trembling gaze was trapped by the horror of what he'd done. Olivinder stood beside him, her fingers tracing comforting circles in his cheek fur. He didn't acknowledge she was even there. When the king's gaze fell on them, Olivinder clutched her friend, trying to help him stand at attention.

"Bring him to me!" Lionheart grunted.

Olivinder gave Torvin a soft pat on his cheek. She leaned close, whispering something in his ear. The warm breath on his face caused him to jolt but he finally looked at her. Olivinder gave him a comforting smile before following through with the King's orders. Like a soldier, she strode tall, head back, shoulders straight. Perfect in many ways but her eyes betrayed the torrent of emotions inside. Olivinder's resolve had been tested, maybe even broken, but she wasn't about to let it show.

Nicholas wasn't the fool he pretended to be. His mind had been constructing the elaborate plan the entire time. All he needed now was a catalyst. When he felt Olivinder grip his arm, it set things in motion.

In a quick snap, the fox turned on her, planting an open palm hard against her chest plate. The leopard gasped and fell back at the surprising motion. Her head in such a flurry, she'd not even noticed the fox's hand grip her sword. The motion of her falling back drew her sword for him. When she hit the floor, Finn gripped her around the throat with his strong claws.

"Don't move, Oli. I don't want to hurt you." Finn's voice was a soft rumble in her ear. She said nothing, simply nodding her understanding.

Everything happened so fast that the others couldn't react. A tiny voice in the back of the baker fox's head urged him to defend his companions. When the voice got too loud to ignore, it spurred him into action. Gideon jumped over Olivinder's prone body and scooped up Torvin's discarded sword. The cougar watched everything unfold before him, he remained lost in a haze making no attempt to rescue his friend. Now they were an armed opposition, Torvin deemed it wasn't worth trying. The pudgy fox looked down at the heavy sword in his hand. Armed as he was, he was still at a disadvantage. He didn't know how to use a sword and he wasn't about to pretend he did.

Nicholas turned to face the king with his sword in his hand. "Alright, now that the odds are a little more even. How about you and I have a talk, your lowness."

"I...Bellwether, do something!" Lionheart demanded.

Bellwether stood crouched next to the throne shaking her head. "N..no."

"You wanted to talk, so let's talk!" Nicholas urged the confrontation.

"Things have gotten out of hand!" Benjamin got to his feet, his ankh clenched in his hands.

"Stay out of this friar." The King descended the stairs planting a punch into the good Cleric's gut sending him to his knees.

Gideon could see that the king's sudden speed burst sent Nicholas on the defensive. The fox took several wide steps back managing to avoid tripping over the downed body of the snow leopard. Aza stepped forward, dodging a claw swipe from the king. She grabbed the chubby cheetah by the shoulders of his tunic, pulling him away from further danger. It took a few hard pulls but she managed to put some distance between them and the mad king. The king wheeled around to face the Bard once again.

"Where is my stone, you dirty little thief?" He asked.

"Not here!" Nicholas lowered his sword but kept it at the ready.

"Where is it!?"

The king took a step forward, the entire group took a step back. The entire group was of a hive mind that the king could no longer be trusted to be rational. He was capable of doing anything, even murder. Keeping any form of distance from the King was important. Nicholas took a sidestep as if he were circling the lion.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He chided.

"Listen to me, fox. I've had it up to here with this attitude." The king motioned a line above his head. "You will tell me what I want to know, or I will gut your despicable carcass right here and now!"  
"Strong words from a filthy murderer." Nicholas spat on the floor.

Hearing the words caused Torvin to drop to his knees. Tears in his eyes. There was a deep desperation in his face that left Gideon feeling cold inside. The cougar fished a dagger from his boot. Olivinder tried to break the small fox's grip but it was all for nothing. Finn's small claw pierced her skin causing a pool of blood to soak into her fur on her throat. She grunted and stared at her companion.

"Stop him!" She screamed.

Gideon saw the small blade catch the firelight and lurched forward to grab the cougar's hand but he wasn't fast enough. The blade sunk easily between the chink in his armor, blood spilled out from under his rib plate. The cougar looked up at the ceiling and started muttering a prayer through a heavy breath. His voice was echoed by the sound of Brother Benjamin's voice. Aza pulled the cheetah to his feet. Gideon could see the ankh had broken when the King punched him. Broken as it may be, the Cleric's faith went beyond the wooden trinket. The baker fox's head was spinning as he watched the pool of blood spread around the cougar crawling across the tiled floor. The sight caused the edges of Gideon's vision to darken. The Cleric's sweet voice slowed down and became distorted in his ears.

"Gideon!" Aza yelled.

Too late, once again. He felt the massive hand close around his. The king tore the sword from him with little effort, hammering him in the side of the head with the pommel and brought the weapon back across his body. The force of the strike shuddered the entirety of the fox's world. Gideon was floating through the air for a second before coming down hard on the red rug. The air was forced from his lungs. A figure came in from the side of his blackening vision. It was a sweet face, strong enough to keep him from giving into the coming darkness. Warm hands gripped his cheeks.

"Mordith was not with you this battle." Aza gave him a ragged smile, he could sense her concern.

Lionheart turned his blade towards the Bard, who'd stepped between the lion, the captain and her mage as if he were protecting them from whatever he might do. Finn had since moved to stand next to his friend. Even unarmed, he was still dangerous. Free from the Fennec's clutches, Olivinder crawled across the floor to embraced Torvin's hunched body. Her sobs filled the hall as she fought to keep him from slipping into the beyond.

A cruel smile crept across the King's lips. "Kill him!" He ordered Captain Hopps to turn on the fox that had his back to her.

"No," The bunny responded through gritted teeth, her fire still alight.

"I guess I'll just have to do it myself." Lionheart took two wide steps towards them.

"Ah ah ah! You kill me, your murderousness, and you'll never find your trinket." The Bard teased.

"Far enough. Then I will just have to slow torture you and your friends until you tell me." Lionheart chuckled.

"Gotta catch us first." Nicholas took a step back bumping into the captain, she wrapped a hand around his waist to keep him from tripping. "Thanks, Carrots."

The bunny opened her mouth to speak but the King interrupted her. "I have thousands of guards at my disposal. There's no way you can kill them all. You will be mine." The King taunted.

"Darkness below! Who has the time for all of this "witty" banter? I'm running out of time here." Bellwether groaned.

Everyone paused amidst hearing the sheep's voice. They all turned to see her sitting on the throne, her fingers pressed together before her. There was an arrogant glow about her, something uneasy and menacing. Again, Nicholas cocked his head as he studied her.

"What did you say, witch?" The King turned his back to the group, glaring up at Bellwether. "What are you-"

"I said," Bellwether cut the king off. "I don't have time for all of this bravado, you pin-headed buffoon. If you're going to kill him, then do it. I don't have time for these 'will he, won't he' Gnoll droppings you keep spewing."

"How dare you?" The King was taken aback by this sudden change in the sheep's demeanor.

"How dare I!? You're so simple-minded. This," Bellwether gestured to everyone in the room. "all of this was orchestrated by me! Granted a few things went awry but they're so small it doesn't matter. The stars are aligned and it's my time to shine, with or without the Sunburst stone." The sheep gloated leaning against the arm of the throne.

"Uhm...sorry to interrupt you, Wools, but as far as villain speeches go, this is a pretty poor attempt. I mean you're giving us tons of information but it doesn't mean anything to us without some background exposition." Nicholas chimed in. "As a Bard, I could give you a few pointers on how to tell a good story."

"Ah, the Bard, yes. First of all, you failed your contract, so you're not getting the other half of your payment. The good news is, you're gonna die, so it doesn't matter where you hid the Sunburst Stone because no one will ever be able to stop me." Bellwether slipped down from the throne.

"I knew it! You're the 'mysterious' stranger from the tavern. I thought I smelled lamb chops all over the gold you gave me." A wide grin came to the fox's muzzle.

Finn chortled a high-pitched laugh. "Now's not the time, boy."

A red tint filled the sheep's face. "Silence!"

"What is he talking about, witch?" The King turned his sword on his adviser.

"Shut up, you worm."

Bellwether pulled her long Onyx staff from behind the throne pointing it at the lion. A familiar green glow engulfed the staff pulsing from foot of it to the head. A witch fire green bolt jumped from the tip, striking the King square in the chest. It sent him to the floor, leaving him a writhing mass. Lionheart clutched his chest, clawing at his clothes as if there were a heavy weight pressing down on him. His fur grew ashen in color. His face grew gaunt as if his very life force was being sucked out of him. A few gasps escaped his lips before his body fell slacked against the tile. The king's hands curled into claws at his chest. The gaping hollow of his eyes and mouth showed that he was nothing more than a desiccated husk now.

"Stop calling me a witch!" Bellwether chortled. "You...you think you can control me. I was controlling you this whole time. And this facade, much like your 'reign', has come to an end."

Again, like a hive mind, the group slowly backed towards the door of the chamber. Nicholas picked up the sword next to the king's dead body and held it out to whoever would take it. Aza the one, she took the blade and gave it a few practice swings. "Thank you, bard."

"I think it's time for us to leave." Nicholas looked at everyone as they started to regroup, each of them nodding and backing away from the door.

"Stay right where you are! I want to have a word with you." A sneer came to the sheep's face.

Bellwether clutched her staff with both hands and started to mumble something that Gideon couldn't understand. The look on Buja's face told him that whatever it was, it wasn't good. A look of confusion spread across the buffalo's face. It was definitely a spell but one she didn't even know the origin for.

All around them, the air grew cold and thick with a strange humidity. An acrid taste filled the baker's nose and mouth. Quickly, he held his breath as the room was filled with a strange green fog. It was the same color as the bolt she'd fired into the king.

"Cover your muzzles, don't breathe the fog," Nicholas demanded pulling his tunic collar up over his nose.

Everyone did as they were told, making sure to not take another breath until their faces were covered away from whatever the fog was. Buja wrapped an arm across Judy's shoulders pulling her into the center of the tightening group. She started muttering a spell under her breath. Her words were lost admits the rumble in her tone. When she finished, she tapped her staff against the tiled floor and a blue dome engulfed them. Gideon could see the green fog washing over the invisible walls that surrounded them.

"You can breathe safely now. The orb will protect us." Buja grunted trying to focus on keeping the spell intact.

When the room was filled with the strange green fog, Bellwether slammed her staff against the floor. It sent a green shockwave throughout the room. It was strong enough to shake the very foundation of the castle. If it hadn't been for Buja's protection spell, the shock wave may have torn them apart.

Bellwether leaned on her staff weakly. Her once white wool had turned gray. Her cheeks and eyes sunk into her skull. Her green eyes glowed with the same magic light that she used to poison the room. Beside her ragged panting and trembling body, the room was deathly still.

The fur on the back of Gideon's neck stood on end. "Y'all, I gotta bad feeling about this."

Right before their eyes, the king's emaciated body started to flinch. It's clawed hands gripped the rug, tugging and pulling at nothing in particular. His body rolled onto his side starting to get to his feet. Peter opened his unseeing eyes and stared up at the blackness of the ceiling. He started to get to his feet.

"Torvin?" Olivinder uttered, a smile coming to her face.

The cougar shuddered and turned to look at her. The smile on her lips started to slip. Her eyes growing wide with fear. Then, her once friend, lunged at her, sinking his sharp fangs into her throat. Ribbons of crimson coursed over his unfeeling face. There was no screams from the snow leopard's gaped mouth, only the sound of her own blood gurgling in her throat. Her eyes rolled back into her head as the cougar's body fell upon her, continuing to feast upon her remains.

"We gotta go!" Gideon urged them.

Torvin got to his feet, grouping with the king and the rabbit as they shambled forward. It wasn't long after that when Olivinder joined the parade of the undead. They were mere shells of their former selves and they were hungry to recruit more into their ranks.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten:

It's a Thriller

Benjamin clasped his hands in front of him. "Sweet Divine, deliver us from this unholy torment." His voice was nothing more than a mutter but the fear in his eyes reflected the terrible thoughts running through his mind.

Peter, or the shadow of Peter, shambled closer. His arms outstretched as if he were reaching for them. The wound in his stomach started tearing under the weight of his guts sloshing around inside of him. The pupils in his eyes were gone; all that remained was the blood-red sclera. His mouth opened and closed as if he were anticipating a meal he was about to eat. Behind him was the king, his longer stride brought him close enough to bump against the rabbit. The remains of Olivinder and Torvin were not far behind, snapping their teeth loud enough to hear over their low moans.

"So, Bard, why don't you tell me where the Sunburst Stone is? I might actually let you go. Of course your survival will just be a waiting game anyway but you know, it should be fun to watch your precious Zootopia fall to ruin." Bellwether descended the stairs, using her staff for support.

"No!" Nicholas smirked taking a step back, purposefully pushing the group towards the door.

"What did you say?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I said...NO!" The fox shook his head. "I can see a greedy glint in your eyes and it's telling me a whole lot of truths. You need that stone; ergo it's important to...whatever it does, ergo-"

A cruel laugh rattled the sheep's frail looking body. "I've always had a soft spot for Bards, they seem to be the only ones that can make me laugh. But that won't be.-"

"Oh, for Mordith's sake, let's go!" Aza grabbed the fox by the collar of his vest and pulled him away.

Benjamin had the door open already, bracing it with his shoulder. "This way, we have to get out of here."

"I...I can help you, if you'll have me." Judy pleaded, her purple eyes searching for any sign of mercy.

Finn scaled the baker fox's body to perch on his shoulder. "What? Why would we invite that torment?"

"I can get you out of the castle; there is no one that would dare to stand against me." Pride was thick in the bunny's voice.

"I hate to point this out, ma'am, but I don't think your faithful followers are gonna be up for a pleasant chat, if you get my drift?" Gideon pointed down the hall.

Judy followed his gesture down the corridor to the main hall, the green fog thick throughout. Bodies of the guards and visitors shambled around aimlessly, all transformed by the fog. A single gasp echoed through the hollow corridor. The shambling corpses stopped and turned towards the source; a lone bunny guard at the other end of the hall. They started towards the sound, slow at first, the closer they got the more desperate their steps got. Judy's heart sunk into her stomach at the sound of their armor clanking and wanton moans echoing from inside the guard's helmets.

"Oh my goddess, Bellwether took the all." Her hand cupped her small muzzle.

"Milady," Buja began, her voice strained through gritted teeth. "How about we strike a deal, fox? If you take us with you, I'll keep you shielded from this horrible green fog that will otherwise turn you into one of them?"

"Huh? That's a good point." Finn added.

Nicholas didn't respond. Buja wasn't even sure if he heard the offer. Instead he was focused on the bunny captain, tears welled in her eyes. Nicholas was struck by her empathy for the loss of those that served under her. It was a sign of true leadership. Nicholas touched her shoulders bringing her eyes up to meet his.

"Listen to me, Carrots. We need you to focus up right now. I swear to you, when we get out of this, you can cry your pretty little eyes out and I promise, I'll only make fun of you a little bit, deal?" Nicholas gave her a comforting smile.

"It's a deal." Judy whispered, wiping her eyes.

"Good, where's our stuff?" Nicholas looked to see how close the shamblers were.

"In the courtyard, there's a chest on the cart we brought you in on. You'll find your weapons there." Judy followed his gaze, counting ten or more of the zombies.

"To the courtyard?" Buja grunted.

"To the courtyard." Nicholas agreed.

"Alright, y'all. If we're doing something, we need to do it. We're drawing a crowd here." Gideon said moving closer to Aza.

The hyena was looking throughout the corridor for a way around the shamblers. Despite the large width of the hallway, the zombies were spread out. They were going to have to go right through them if they wanted to escape. Gideon could hear the grinding of the leather wrap around the hilt of her sword under the flexing of her hand.

"Alright, follow me," Judy drew her sword. "And if you can spare them-"

"I think we may be beyond that, bunny." Aza took a deep breath.

Judy gave a stiff nod, a grim look washing over her face. She touched the cool blade to her forehead before charging down the hall. Buja gave chase to keep her shielded within the blue sphere. The rest of the group fell in line behind her in an arrowhead shape. To the captain's left was Aza, wielding her sword. To the right was Nicholas giving a few practice swings before he was ready to engage.

"Try not to let them touch you!" Judy order as she stepped in on the first of the zombies.

One of her soldiers, clad in the ornamental platemail, was built to take heavy damage from an untrained soldier. However, to those who knew where to strike, the platemail was riddled with entry points easy to spot. Judy was one such a soldier, her sword moved through a gap in the plates finding its mark. Viscous red blood spilled out from between the sections.

A wolf in tribal attire moved in, faster than the others to close the gap. Nicholas, who wore light armor, was even lighter on his feet making him faster for sure. A clean slice took off the zombies head and arms, its body falling to the floor and sliding to a halt. The baker fox had to jump over the body or risk stumbling.

"Goddess, deliver them from their torment," Judy grunted.

With a low slash of her sword, it severed the feet of another oncoming zombie. There was a sickly crack from its head hitting the floor. Benjamin, spurred by the bunny's uttered prayers pushed him to move faster.

"Forgive them for their trespasses and bring them to the arms of your flock," Judy and Benjamin stated in unison.

Judy threw her shoulder hard into the hulking wall of platemail before her. It barely staggered the soldier but it was enough for her to pierce the soft flesh beneath the face plate. Aza managed to snag a zombie that was reaching for the bunny. With a crude flick of her wrist she managed to sever the thing's head before hurling the rest of the body at the wall of platemail that was still teetering on its dead feet.

"Ease their souls into the afterlife and grant me a steady hand to carry out your will." Judy's words heaved in her chest, choked by tears.

Nicholas saw her falter out of the corner of his eyes but he was there to help her. He wrapped an arm across her back and hefted her up.

His whispered voice sounded in her sensitive ear. "Ah, ah, ah! You made me a promise, Carrots.

Don't make me think you're untrustworthy."

She shot the fox a glance through tear stained eyes. "Save me from a weary heart, forever in your name..." She uttered, Nicholas felt her weight lifted from him as she was on her feet once again.

"Amen." Nicholas finished for her as they surged on.

Before they knew it, they trotted through the large open door stopping at the top of the stairs. There, in the center of the courtyard was the cart that Judy spoke of. The green mist was thinner now that they were in the open air but Buja wasn't comfortable dropping the shield just yet. Benjamin limped close to the Captain, resting his hand on her shoulder as much for support as for adoration. Finn was still clutching Gideon's shirt, holding on for dear life. Aza was the last one to step though, pulling the door closed behind her. She wasn't sure if the shamblers could operate doors but wasn't taking any chances. The hyena started down the stairs counting the handful of zombies that milled around the courtyard. They had managed not to draw too much attention to themselves and with a little finesse they could pass through unnoticed.

All of them remind quiet as they hunkered down next to the carriage. The only noise was the rattling of the Captain's plate armor but there was nothing she could do about it. Benjamin poked his head around the side of the cart keeping an eye on the shamblers that, by the divine's fate, still hadn't noticed them. Aza stabbed her blood soak sword into the ground at her feet before hefting the chest down from under the seat.

"Do you have the key?" Finn whispered, his voice was barely lower than his normal tone.

Judy, who was still breathing hard and working to control her emotions, reached into the pouch at her hip pulling out an old rusty key. Nicholas smiled and plucked it from her fingers unlocking the chest. His old bow and lute had never seemed so welcoming. He was quick to recover all of his things before moving so one of the others could do the same. Judy's gaze followed him as he re-position himself on the other side of her.

"Thank you, fox." Judy whispered in the most sincere voice that he'd ever heard from her.

"Anytime. You did good, Carrots." Nicholas whispered back.

"Now that you're free of the castle, do we split company?" She asked wiping her blade off on the grass.

The rest of the group exchanged glaces. Searching to see if anyone had any misgivings about them continuing their escape together. When no one spoke, it became a silent agreement, they were allies. For how long remained to be seen and that would have to be enough for the time being.

Once everyone was finished retrieving their items, they gathered at the edge of the cart preparing to make a run for it. Aza gripped Gideon's shoulder, thrusting the hilt of her borrowed sword into his hand. Now that she had her battleaxe back, she no longer needed the much smaller weapon. Gideon still knew nothing about swords, hefted the blade giving it a few practice swings. He'd already forgotten how heavy it was.

"This," Aza pointed at the sword tip. "Is the dangerous end. If you cut them as you would a loaf of bread, baker fox, then you shall live to bake another day."

Gideon blushed under the hyena's scrutiny, even her large smile didn't sway the embarrassment. The rest of the group chuckled quietly at the joke. A new air washed over them. Hope came in many forms, this time it came as a joke to lighten the mood. The blue sphere shuddered and threatened to drop altogether admits the buffalo's laughter.

"We must hurry, I can't keep this concentration for much longer." Buja warned, clutching the side of her head with her free hand.

"You heard the mage, let's get a move on." Nicholas fell in behind the Captain.

On a quiet count of three, the group burst out from behind the cart. It only took a second for the rest of the zombies to zero in on them and start their approach. The small group was faster for sure as they headed towards the drawbridge that lead them to surrounding hamlet. Gideon knew that once there, they would have to figure out a new strategy on how to get out of the keep. Unfortunately, that was going to be a problem for future them to deal with.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

Hamlet of the Damned

Unfortunately, the problem for future versions of their selves was already on them. The hamlet just outside the castle was in much the same state. Green fog descended upon it. The inhabitants already started their transformation. The group made their way through the streets as quietly and inconspicuously as they could. Screams could be heard echoing through the streets. Survivors somewhere nearby were fighting for their lives. Nicholas made sure to direct the group away from the screams; everyone assumed it was so they could avoid the zombies that surely were the cause.

Judy gripped Nicholas's hand pulling him around to look at her. "This way, Bard! The streets are wider, so we're less likely to be wedged in if theses..."

"Zombies," Nicholas urged. "You can call them that."

"Blasphemy! Necromancy is a forbidden art, sir." Judy responded.

"That doesn't make it any less possible," Buja groaned, leaning against a hitching post in front of one of the many shops.

"Are you alright, Mage?" Benjamin reached up to touch her face.

"Buja." Her strong gaze found him but she didn't pull away from his touch.

"My apologies, Buja" There was a concern in the cheetah's eyes. "You're cold and clammy. The spell has taken a considerable toll on you."

"Yes, we have to find a way out of this fog; I don't know how much longer I can hold the spell." Buja closed her eyes and shuddered against the pounding in her temple. "Whatever we're planning on doing, we must make haste, ma'am."

Aza took a few steps away from the group to keep an eye out. Gideon and Finn followed her example heading the opposite way, keeping an eye out for zombies. He was still close enough to the rest of the group to hear them talking, even in their hushed voices. They were working on what their next course of action should be.

"I agree with you about the wider street thing, Carrots. Just hear me out, the front gate is quite a distance from us and would require us to go down the main street. I can't help but imagine what we might find there." Nicholas pulled his hand away from her, gripping his knocked arrow.

"As much as it pains me, I have to agree with him, Captain." Buja groaned, her eyes still locked on the Cleric, who was finishing whispering a prayer. "That won't work on me, Friar. I don't believe in your goddess. She has forsaken me, as well as so many of my kind."

"There is love in her heart for all, even a dark heart." Benjamin offered her a calm smile. If it had been any other mammal, she might have been offended but something about his calm nature kept her relaxed.

"We cannot stand around for long, they will be on us." Benjamin gripped his broken ankh, drawing whatever comfort he could.

Finn gripped the baker fox's ear sharply. Gideon let out a grunt and looked up at the small fox. He was touching a finger to his lips, shushing him. Then he pointed down the shadow darkened street. Two figures shambled out of a doorway into the street. A tall cow dressed in a skimpy dress, one breast hung free from the ragged fabric. A courtesan, Gideon assumed by the way she was outfit. There was a ravaged patch on her chest, a bite mark. The other figure that shambled along with her must have been her client.

"Do you see them?" Finn whispered.

"Yeah, what should we do?" Gideon took a step back.

"Get a move on." Finn turned around on his shoulder to check the rest of the group.

"It's not like there's another way out of the kingdom, fox." Judy tried to keep her voice low, there was a frustration setting in.

Beyond, the Hyena stood vigilant holding her axe. Gideon could see another small group of shamblers filling up the mouth of a nearby alley. Some even wandered out into the street luckily, they hadn't notice the group. Aza sneered as she looked in the direction the bunny had suggested they go. A count of fourteen zombies now shambled the streets. There was no telling how many more hid in the shadows. That was when Aza saw steam rising up from a grate in the ground several feet away. A crude smile came to her lips as she regrouped.

"I thought you knew the city, Carrots. I was depending on your knowledge." Nicholas held an affectionate tone. It was less of an argument and more that he was just teasing her.

"We should take the sewers." Aza interrupted.

"The sewers!" Nicholas snapped around to look at the taller hyena. "Now, that's a plan."

"Then I suggest we go!" Buja pushed herself away from the hitching post swaying dizzily.

Gideon wrapped an arm around her waist helping to keep her steady. "I'm crap with a sword, so I can carry you, if you need me to."

"You may have to at that, round one." Buja leaned on him long enough to gather her balance.

Once everyone was ready, Aza led the group back around the corner, pointing towards the grate in the street. It was much further than she initially thought it was. A rather large group of shamblers teetered around the opening. Hanging from a wooden beam above them was a wooden sign, etched with a goblet wrapped up by a dragon, a tavern. It seemed that all the patrons had turned and were now looking for something else to quench their thirst.

"Twelve arrows," Nicholas whispered looking at Judy, who was quietly counting the zombies that lay ahead.

"Eight throwing knives," Finn said jumping from Gideon to the heavy cheetah's shoulder.

"Not much to go on. There has to be at least twenty of them between here and there." Judy sighed.

"Let's not forget about the ones hiding in the alleys between here and there." Aza added.

"Finn and Benjamin will cover our rear. Aza and Nicholas will take the lead. Everyone conserve your ammo until the very last moment. We really only have to focus on the ones around the grate." Judy ordered as she drew her sword. "I'll stay close to Buja and Gideon and keep them safe."

As the group moved down the wide street, it didn't take long for them to gather the attention of the zombies. These ones moved a bit faster than the ones in the castle as if they were heartier, or healthier. Nicholas waited until the zombies were almost upon him before he took them out. Not missing the opportunity to show off his skills, he made sure each arrow went through the eye taking them out for good.

Aza's argument was that cleaving them in half worked just as well. Her swings were violent and dangerous. Often times, Judy was put on the defensive, dodging the large steel axe as it was swung. What started off as defending the group, quickly descended into a game of who could kill the most zombies? Finn wasn't far behind in joining with the merriment. Gideon was impressed to see how fast he could throw a dagger and how deadly his aim was.

"Eight." Nicholas chided, knocking another arrow as they made their death march.

"Six, Seven," Aza said, jerking her axe free from the cold stone wall of a nearby building.

"You must stop this foolishness." Judy ordered stepping forward, long enough to severe the legs of a closing zombie.

"Three." Benjamin chuckled, drawing the ire of the captain.

"Good job, Friar." Finn joked, another dagger cutting down his fifth kill.

"Y'all need to keep your voices down." Gideon grunted under the growing weight of Buja.

Nicholas knocked another arrow sending it into the growing group shambling around the grate. Before the body even hit the ground, the rest of the shamblers turned and started towards the group. The bard's green eyes went wide. His smile faded along with his merriment. Aza felt her own smile fail as she slowed her pace. Judy bumped into her back, forcing her to look around the hyena's broad back. Her ears slipped back against her head. The group of zombies tripled in size and they were coming to intercept the small group.

"They're coming." Benjamin sighed, Judy turned to see another large group of zombies coming up from the rear.

Another thwang from the bard's bow thunked next to her feet. The bunny looked down to see the zombie she'd dismembered earlier was reaching for her feet. A surge of emotion flowed through her. These things were no longer the citizens of her city, just as her guards were no longer her subordinates. Nothing could be done for them, no more mercy could be offered.

"Carrots, I'm out!" Nicholas gripped her shoulder.

"Last one!" Finn said, throwing a dagger through a niche he'd found in the armor of a merchant's bodyguard.

"The portal is just right there." Buja grunted tiredly.

"Yes! But there's only thirty or so of them bastards between here and there." Nicholas snapped, pointing towards the group of zombies that were growing before them.

"Leave them to me." Benjamin said peacefully, gripping the broken remains of his ankh before stepping past the group.

"No!" Aza gripped his bicep pulling his back.

"Sister, you must have faith me, just as you have faith in Galstar. She will keep me safe and help me lead you all to safety." Benjamin smiled.

Aza hated the calm smile on his face, almost as much as she hated how right he was. When she let him go, her eyes followed him closely. At the first sign of him being in danger, she would be there to help him. The chubby cheetah touched the ankh to his chest and took a deep breath pulling his shirt up over his muzzle. Then he passed through the blue sphere that protected them. Judy watched in horror, waiting for the inevitable to happen. Gideon heard Aza start whispering a prayer of protection for her brother.

"Goddess, bless all of your children. Bring forth the light unto us in this our darkest hour. Turn away the evil from this place. TURN away the darkness from this place." Benjamin lifted the broken ankh in his hand.

A blinding light radiated from the splintered wood, a light brighter than the sun. It was a piercing heavenly light, so bright that the rest of the group was forced to look away. Gideon held his arm up over his eyes watching as the zombies before them halted in place as if they'd been turned to stone. The closest of them collapsed on the ground, turning to dust. The others were paralyzed in place.

"Come." Benjamin whispered to them.

Using the holy light, he guided his companions through the mob of undead to the grate in the street. Nicholas and Finn launched into action, pulling the heavy iron grate away from the hole. A foul smell greeted them, leaving Nicholas without a joke to accompany the stench. The cleric grunted, slipping down to one knee.

The heavenly light started growing dim. "You must hurry." He panted.

Gideon moved as soon as he saw Nicholas disappear into the darkness below. He pulled the hem of his shirt up over his muzzle watching the other do the same. Once everyone was covered, he lowered the Mage through the hole into Nicholas's waiting arms. He wasted no time in following them down. The light from Benjamin's ankh illuminated the sewer enough for the baker fox to watch Judy and Finn follow behind him.

Aza stood next to the Cleric watching as he started to succumb to the power of the divine. His face grew as pale as the dimming light from the ankh. She touched the side of his face and smiled at him.

"You did good brother. Let's go."

Without another moment of hesitation, she gripped his hand and helped him down the ladder into the sewers below. As soon as the light faded, the zombies were starting to move again. Without wasting another moment, the hyena lowered herself in, only stopping long enough to pull the grate closed behind her. One of the zombies managed to reach through the wide opening on the grate to grab her arm. Aza let out a gasp and slipped from the slick iron rungs of the ladder, falling. The weight of her muscular body tore the zombie's arm off, sending a shower of viscous blood all over her. The last thing Gideon could see before the holy light went out completely was an angry tight-lipped hyena peeling the fingers of the zombie's hand from her arm.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

An Unlikely Hiding Spot.

Judy ran the soft fabric of her cape along the hyena's cheeks doing what she could to smear away the thick blood. The hyena still wasn't happy about being covered in zombie gore. What did bring about a smile along her wide muzzle was how generous the bunny was about offering her cape to help clean her up.

Buja asked for a moment to rest and catch her breath. Now that Gideon had a chance to take in everything that happened, it left him terrified. Having seen enough zombie movies to know that this was how the disease spread. Bite marks, clawing, what would have happened if any of them had been bit? To actually see them move in the flesh curdled a scream in his throat. He was sure that if he looked in the mirror he would see flex of white scared into his hair. When he saw Aza, he remembered that she'd been the only one to come in physical contact with the things.

Gideon took the opportunity to examine the hyena's arm. There were no tears in her skin, the zombie hadn't clawed her. That was good news, but the spangles of blood all over her body gave him pause. The look on Aza's face was less than pleased when the baker fox asked if she'd swallowed any of the blood. Even after she said 'no', he asked her again. The answer was the same just louder and more annoyed.

When Judy was satisfied that Aza was cleaned up, she unlatched her cape and dropped it onto the crud slicked ground. Aza gave the bunny a gracious smile and relaxed. Judy followed suit, leaning back against the sticky wall.

"I can't believe this is happening." Judy voice was trembling once again.

"No one expects a Zombie Inquisition." Nicholas joked but it was clear, there was no humor in his voice.

"So what the sod are we gonna do now?" Finn's voice echoed through the dark.

The sounds of voices stirred the zombies overhead; their moans came louder as they scrambled to reach down through the grate. Gideon watched them wearily, rubbing the lump in his side. It had been hurting him since they fled the throne room. He half expected the zombie's combined weight to break the iron grate that separated them. If it did, they were all screwed.

The whole prospect was wearing a little thin. The pudgy fox never liked feeling useless; even though he'd done everything he could to move the group forward. Things were just so different in this world. He knew he had no real power for which to help his companions.

"For my part, I deem Aza and I will finish our mission." Benjamin rested on the ground next to Buja.

"The Lady of the Falls is a myth, brother!" Aza growled as she crossed her arms. "We need something more tangible to go on.

"Wait, you're looking for the Lady of the Falls?" Nicholas chimed in.

"So are we!" Finn said.

"Seems convenient, Bard." Aza turned to look at him.

"No, seriously, we were approached by one of her agents shortly after we took the contract from, Queen Kingslayer." Nicholas pulled his lute from his back tuning the strings.

"Her agent offered us a much larger amount of money for the stone, so we thought, why not?" Finn added from his perch on the baker fox's shoulder.

"Don't forget the protection too, my friend." Nicholas snickered.

"Always making deals with mythological vigilantes fox." Judy smirked.

"Silence, no one asked the Captain of the Dead for her opinion." Aza snapped at the bunny.

"Will you all just cut it out!" Gideon yelled. His eyebrow went slacked. "I dunno if y'all notice this or not, but we're literately and figuratively in deep crap right now. It's just us, no one else. So, I say we need suck it up and stop fighting among ourselves."

"Easy for you to say, baker fox!" Aza started but Brother Benjamin gripped her wrist.

"Our diplomatic friend is right, sister." Benjamin smiled up at the fox. "We are the ones to blame for him being involved in predicament, in the first place and he's been helpful thus far. I say we give him a chance."

Everyone looked at Gideon; their faces were almost impossible to read. Warmth flushed on the pudgy fox's cheeks. He secretly wanted to slip into a hole to escape there scrutiny. Gideon had gone to a lot of trouble to learn how to control his temper. Whenever he had an outburst it always made him feel incredibly self-conscious or guilty for doing it.

"Well, you- what did you say your name was?" Judy pushed away from the wall moving closer to the fox.

"Gideon Grey, ma'am," Gideon forced himself to make eye contact with her.

"Well, Gideon, what do you propose we do?" Her voice was calm.

"Getting outta the sewers should be job one. After that, I reckon we should find this Lady of the Falls. She might be able to tell us a little bit more about this Sunburst stone. As Nick -er, Nicholas pointed out; Bellwether wanted the stone, so it must be important." Even Gideon was impressed with the idea unfolding in his head.

"That would be a different story, if we had the stone." Aza added casting her gaze at Nicholas.

"It's close by, I promise." The fox chuckled nervously.

Gideon pursed his lips, considering the fox's reaction. "You stuck it up your butt, didn't ya?"

Finn let loose a high pitched cackle and Nicholas gasped his eyes wide in shock. "NO! Absolutely not,"

"Then why are you always looking so shifty when we ask about it?!" Gideon crossed his arm, wincing at the pain in his side.

"That is a really good question. Did I do something with the stone that I shouldn't have? Yes...yes I did. Was it necessary to keep it safe...yes?" Nicholas rubbed the back of his neck.

"Out with it, fox, none of us have the patience for your song and dance." Buja grunted getting to her feet again.

"First of all, I have to say how sorry I am and that you, Mr. Baker-Fox, should refrain, and I can't stress this enough, should refrain from being angry with me. But I may have, when no one was looking, shoved the stone into your open knife wound before the cleric sealed it up. I'm sorry, so sorry...there, we're friends, right?"

"You WHAT?!" Gideon reached up feeling the lump in his side.

The way it rolled around under his fingers and the way it knocked against the meat surrounding his ribs. Now that he knew what the lump was, he could feel it; he could envision it in there. That would explain why it hurt so much. His body registered it as a foreign entity and was trying to get rid of it. The feeling of it shifting around made his stomach churn. Thank goodness, he had nothing left in his stomach to purge.

"Everyone, keep your voices down." Aza said through gritted teeth.

"You what!?" Gideon whispered, he gripped the fox around his neck slamming him against the slime covered wall.

"It was an error-" Nick's words were pinched as Gideon squeezed.

Finn pressed the tip of his dagger to the baker fox's throat "Easy there, fatso. Let my buddy go or you're gonna have a lot more problem then that stone in your side."

The words coming in the voice of his lover hurt the pudgy fox's feelings. It took so much to remind himself that this Fennec wasn't his Finnick. It was a doppelganger that was lucky enough to look like the handsome one he knew and loved. Gideon relaxed his grip around the fox's throat and sighed. At once, Finn pulled the blade from his throat. It left and indent in the flesh. He could feel a trickle of blood dripping beneath the fur. Finn scoffed and slid down Gideon's body to the floor moving to stand next to Nicholas.

"Listen," The bard rubbed his neck and coughed. "I know it was a terrible thing to do, but I had no choice. I knew Carrots and her slave Mage were hot on my trail, so I had no other choice. Besides, all I have to do is make a little slice and pull the stone out. Then the good Cleric here, can patch you up."

"It'll be a while before we can do it, though." Benjamin grunted as he got to his feet. "Turning away the darkness isn't an easy feat. It would have killed a lesser mammal."

A smile came to Buja's lips. "It was an amazing feat to be sure, Friar."

"So I'm stuck with this thing inside of me?" Gideon added.

"Seems so, I assure you, as soon as I'm well enough to heal you, we can remove it." Benjamin touched the fox's shoulder with a trembling hand.

Judy cleared her throat as if to draw everyone's attention to her. "So, for now we should focus on getting out of these sewer, once out, we can head to the west. My parents have a farm there. We can seek refuge until we find another path to take."

"How far is it?" Finn asked.

"Two days, three at the most; if we run into trouble." Judy wiped the tears from her eyes.

Gideon realized that Judy had been quiet almost the entire time the confrontation had been going on. His heart ached at the thought that she'd just been standing there quietly crying over the loss of her entire kingdom. Something urged him to comfort her but realized that this Judy might see it as patronizing and stopped before he made himself look more the fool.

"Excellent idea, your family farm is on our way to meet up with the Lady of the Falls' contact. We can rest there before moving on to Port Kitteh." Nicholas added his own twist on their plan, making it his own.

"That's over a five days walking distance. Who knows how far this thing will spread by then?" Judy flexed, forcing herself to keep her voice down.

"Listen, Carrots, we don't have much of a choice. Like pudgy said, we're the only ones that know what's going on. We have to warn as many people as we can or else..." The bard fox knew he didn't have to finish his thought for them to understand.

"Don't call me Carrots!" Judy thrust her chest out at him.

"Stop acting like a pinhead then!" Nicholas smirked back

"Enough, let's get moving." Buja tapped her staff on the slimy stone beneath her feet and uttered a few words.

The ornamental top of her staff lit up the darkness with a cool white light. Now that Gideon got a better look at his surroundings, it looked much like the sewers he'd seen in fantasy movies. The stones were a cruder looking and the garbage and debris was a lot different than he imagined it to be. There were two stone walkways on either side of the rounded corridor that lay above the stream of sludge that ran along the middle.

"I'll lead," Judy said moving to the front drawing her sword once again.

"I'll guard the rear." Aza offered watching as everyone shuffled by her in a line before she fell in at the back.


End file.
